4
One house has two small pools and they usually contain a total
of 40-50 batches of spawn. The houses haue been built some
20 years or so and frog populations are still fairly high.
I hope frog lovers will continue their good work and perhaps
encourage others to build a frog pond in their gardens. I
haue been placing spawn in ponds in two areas near Great
Leighs where frogs had died out and after doing this for five
years adult frogs are being seen and are breeding in the ponds.
Transferring spawn like this appears to be working providing
the ponds are suitable and not teeming with fish which eat
the tadpoles.
Common Toad (Bufo bufo)
Toads are recorded from garden ponds in Thaxted, Hornchurch
and Harlow New Town and are common in the London suburbs.
In Epping Forest the toad is more common than the frog and is
adaptable to deeper water as well. It is found in static
water tanks and even swimming pools. The spawn is laid in
strings and is much more difficult to remove which may
account for the animal surviving so well. In mid-Essex it
seems less common and I would welcome records especially from
this area.
The Newts
Numerous records are sent in but the observers often cannot
identify the species, here is a guide which may be helpful.
Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
The largest of the three newts. 3et black above and sides,
white spots on sides, silver stripe in tail of male. Length:
male 144mm max., female 160mm max. Underside bright yellow
to orange. Male has a separate crest along tail and body in
Spring.
Smooth or Common Newt (Triturus vulgaris)
Olive green or brownish above, belly red, orange or yellow,
paler on sides and throat and spotted with dark green or
brown. Tail of male has a silvery stripe and margined below
with same colour as belly, crest of body and tail when breeding
forms one length. Length: male 88mm max., female 90mm max.
The tail forms more than half total length.