The common frog (Rana temporaria) is perhaps Britain's best known amphibian. Frogs are a common sight in the garden during spring and summer.

Identification
Frogs vary enormously in colour from yellow though to brick red, but are usually green. The skin is smooth and slimy to touch, unlike the toad, which has usually dry, rough or warty skin. The legs are barred and there is a distinctive stripe behind the eye. Frogs tend to jump rather than crawl.

Male frogs have bigger, stronger forelegs than the females. In spring males have dark nuptial pads on their thumbs (to help grip the females).

Frogspawn is laid in clumps or blobs. Toadspawn is deposited in a string.

The larvae (tadpoles) of the frog and toad are difficult to tell apart. Toad larvae are usually a uniform black in colour, while frog larvae are lighter brown with a more speckled pattern.

Ecology
Frogs feed on invertebrates such as flies, slugs and spiders. They are a welcome asset to the garden as they eat many pests.

Frogs spend much of the year on land, but make their way to ponds to breed in February and March. They are usually found in damp habitats and are seldom far from water.

Frogs tend to prefer smaller, shallower more temporary breeding ponds than the toad, which favours deeper larger bodies of water.

Frogs in Buckinghamshire
Frogs are common in Bucks, especially in garden ponds. However it is very important for BucksARG to have up-to-date records of frogs. This kind of information could help scientists predict the potential effects of climate change on amphibians.

Protection
Common frogs are protected from being traded under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.