Common Frog
Rana temporaria
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Type
AmphibianStatus
WidespreadCommon
ProtectedSeason
Spring
Summer
Autumn Around Welshpool and Belan Locks. Generally look towards shallower, more well vegetated areas of the canal, rather than in open water.
Arguably our best-known and most popular amphibian, the Common Frog, like the Common Toad, breeds during spring in ponds and other water bodies, such as parts of the Montgomery Canal with a lot of vegetation rather than more 'open' water, or side pools.
They lay their spawn in big 'rafts' or clumps, avoiding deeper water as fish will eat their eggs and tadpoles. The Common Frog is a regular visitor to garden ponds across the country, where they feast on slugs and snails.
Frogs have lungs and if these fill with water they can drown - just like humans and other land-based mammals. However, frogs can also breathe through their skin, but they need to keep their skin moist in order to be able to absorb oxygen.
In winter, they hibernate in pond mud or under log piles.
The common frog varies in colour enormously, from green to brown and even red or yellow. It has smooth skin, a dark 'mask' behind the eye and long back legs, covered in dark bands. It hops and jumps rather than walks, and lays spawn in large jelly-like clumps.