Where have the frogs gone?

[Statler]

We have had frogs in our garden for over 10 years, we don't know how they got there as the courtyard is enclosed by brick walls all round. Two years ago we had eleven frogs and two toads. We put out a large bowl with water and they lay frogspawn every year, three years ago we hatched about six frogs.

Then last year all but one female frog disappeared, does anyone know why this should happen. There is no sign of any dead frogs.

Zimmerman

[woofgang]

I have never seen any dead frogs either but here in hampshire we have had a virus that has really wrecked the frog population. There is no point introducing frogs or spawn from other places because those frogs wont be resistant to the virus and will die too. You just have to wait for the survivors to repopulate the area. We have gone from no frogs to one or two again so things are improving here but its very sad.

[snags]

They got in there somehow so maybe they found a way out. Or perhaps something else found its way in and ate them. Got any Herons in the vicinity?

[weecalf]

Sound like they have legged it

[paddywak]

Where I live in Notts there were several places locally where twice a year it was literally impossible to cross the road with out standing on a frog but for the last 4-5 years we've hardly seen any, I've not had one in my pond for three years. I mentioned this to Debbie one of the local Forestry Commission rangers and she said it was the same all over the area, they don't know why but frogs seem to be in decline.

[micmak]

I used to work next door to fields with a stream running though it. We often picked up young frogs and took them back to the stream. The field was sold for a housing development and frogs have not been seen there since.

[Ratty2E]

There has been a terrible fungal disease affecting the frogs here over the past 3 years, it infected their mouths/throats and they starved to death. When it first struck there were dead frogs everywhere it was like a nightmare. Last year I never really saw or heard any live frogs but we had a tiny bit of spawn although the tadpoles seemed to die off. This year I have had 4 blobs of spawn which is now lots of wriggly tadpoles. Still not seen a frog but to me I'd rather not see any than lots of dead ones. Hopefully the ones around now have resistance to the infection and numbers will go up again. I hope so as there are far too many slugs and snails in my garden now.

[SlackAlice]

I've got a large pond in my garden and have had no frogspawn for about 3 years. I'm pleased to report I have a largish blob of frogspawn this year which is currently being protected by me from the fish in the pond!!

I would also add that over the weekend the toads have moved in, so I suspect its their turn next.

[johnk]

Got 2 lots of spawn in my pond so maybe the virus has't raced the north west yet. Is it on the way?

[SpikeyBush]

In the harsh winter of 2010-2011 I found it heartbraking the number of dead frogs and fish I had to remove from my pond when it finally thawed out. That spring there was no frogspawn.

However they are back this year, a big dollop of frogspawn and the first tadpoles hatched at the weekend. So touch wood yours will be back next year. Don't lose faith.