Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations frogs

Hello, This might seem like a dumb question, but I would like to know why my pond has a lot of frogs and my neighbors doesn't. They are both about the same size and are farm ponds. He has fish and I don't. I plan to get some fish in the future will this keep the frog population down. Fran in Pa.

Short answer is your neighbor's fish are eating the frogs and tadpoles. Bass eat frogs and lots of fish eat tadpoles. I am sure that one of the experts will be able to give you a more detailed explanation if one is needed.

Randy

Speaking of frogs….just a month ago we had hundreds of them in the pond and the noise was deafening and after reading the above post it dawned on me that we haven’t seen or heard a frog in the last two weeks.

Many, but not all frogs just come to the pond to mate & lay eggs. The noise is mating foreplay. After all the climax is over they go back to being "normal" less noisy frogs. Many leave to forage in the fields or surrounding habitat. During this time many become food items.

Fran in PA. No dumb questions here on this forum. If you do not know the answer, and if you are willing to "listen", we help you learn.

I spent the weekend at my pond and I noticed that the frogs were silent. A month ago they were annoying they were so loud. I figured the cool weather was to blame. I guess indirectly it may be. They seem to mate all summer. I have some very fat frogs right now and we always get tadpoles in the fall. It's amazing what a learning experience owning a pond is.

Another fact about frogs...tadpoles develop legs at similar times, then emerge. Lots of tadpoles become lots of frogs. But, my friends, this too must change. Lots of creaky serenading leads to discovery by those creatures willing to feast on our jumpy friends. So, energetic frogs, mating, living, eating bugs, quickly become a menu item themselves. Others leave, as fast as they can, looking for better pastures. Survival rates for frogs are low.

Brian and Others, Bullfrogs, especally, have an extended mating sesaon at least in the northern states. My bullfrogs mate end of May through August; with most egg laying in late June/ July. The extended egg laying season results in numerous size groups of bullfrog tadpoles which, when time is right, transform into frogs at various times all summer long. Most other frogs have a short mating season and almost all eggs are laid, and hatch and transform into frogs in a relatively short time span .