Here at Green Lane we have our fair share of all of the above, although some are more welcome than others.

 

The Common Frog  

 

These are really very welcome on our plots and in our gardens – they do no harm and are a real asset to us as a means of biological control.  

Unlike a toad the Common Frog has a smooth skin which is grey, green, yellow or brown and patterned with darker blotches. The legs are ringed and the face has darker mask like markings. Frogs can lighten or darken the colour of their skin to enable them to merge more successfully into their surroundings. They have very good eyesight. Their eyes being positioned on top of the head means that they can poke them just above water whilst the rest of their body remains submerged. The eyes also bulge out which means that frogs can see in most directions even though they can’t move their eyes within the sockets as we and many other animals can. Most frogs have a thin membrane, or lower eyelid, that covers the eye and protects it when under water.

During the breeding season, (February and March), when a frog’s mind turns to things other than its stomach, Common Frogs do not feed at all. When all the  activity is over, however, they will feed on just about any moving creepy crawly that they can get their mouths around. Some of their snacks are exactly the type of creature that we want to control in our garden i.e. slugs and snails. The Common Frog doesn’t chase its prey. It lays in wait for a suitably sized unsuspecting victim to come along and then flicks out its sticky tongue to catch and reel it in. Adult frogs only feed on land and will only eat living prey. (I suppose it is rather difficult to lie in wait until a dead creature happens to pass by!) As a frog cannot chew it must swallow its prey whole. To help manage its meal a frog will blink or close its eyes The closed eyes sink through openings in the frog’s skull and help to push the meal down.

Although Common Frogs are more active at night, they are also active at all times of the day. In winter they hibernate under stones, piles of dead leaves, logs or in compost heaps. We once found a frog hibernating in the frog of an old brick. (A frog is the hollowed part of the brick). It made me wonder if this was why this part of the brick was so called – anyone know the answer? As frogs can breathe through their skin, they can also hibernate in the mud at the bottom of ponds.

Having webbed hind feet frogs are strong swimmers. They also have powerful hind legs which make them excellent at jumping – in effect they are all-round athletes. The front feet have toes without webbing which enable them to hold on to the larger females during mating. In the mating season the females are in great demand and so once a male has found his female it is important he hangs on tightly to her for several days or even weeks. His front fingers are even specially adapted to provide a stronger grip. Other male frogs will try and dislodge him and often the poor female will be submerged under a pile of males. The female can release up to 4000 eggs so it is likely that they could be fertilised by more than one attending male!

Frogs tend to use their sense of smell to return to the water in which they spawned in order to breed. The males will arrive first and begin making a low croaking sound in order to attract the females. As the Common Frog lacks the voice sac that is a feature of some other types of frog, its croaking does not carry far.

Frogspawn is found in masses – a bit like sago pudding – floating on the surface of water whereas the spawn of toads is deposited in long strings wrapped around pond weed and that of the newt attached singly to a leaf.

A frog can live up to 8 years in the wild if it doesn’t succumb to the many froggy hazards. Frogs are part of the menu for many larger creatures such as owls, kestrels, herons, weasels, otters, pine martens, badgers, foxes, grass snakes and pike. They also often fall prey to rats – it seems that there is no hiding place as they can come under attack from the air, from land or in the water.

 

Other than being eaten by a predator the frog is also under threat from the loss of its habitat. The increase in the number of garden ponds has provided a much needed boost to the frog population. Another threat comes from a fungus which in turn causes a disease in frogs called chytridiomycosis. (I have absolutely no idea how to pronounce this!) At the moment it is uncertain how serious a problem this is likely to be to frogs in the UK, although in Australia and America, it has had a devastating effect on amphibian populations. Water pollution badly affects frogs and many are killed on the roads that they must cross as they head for their breeding grounds oblivious of the oncoming traffic.

 

 

 

Garden or Common Snail

 

Unlike the Common Frog these creatures are not at all welcome in our gardens or on our plots. Many gardeners rate the snail and its shell-less relative – the slug - to be the most hated garden pest and much time (and money) is spent trying to find the most effective way of doing away with them. Not all snails do a significant amount of damage in the garden, however the garden snail is one of the most damaging and also one of the most common – hence the alternative name.

The Garden Snail is found in great numbers in any park or garden, in fact anywhere that there is any sort of vegetation. In fact as far as a species goes snails and slugs are extremely successful due in no small part to the fact that they are highly adaptable in terms of habitat and food supply! Also being slimy means that many creatures do not consider them to be an appetising meal. Hedgehogs roll slugs and the soft bodies of snails in soil to get rid of the slime. Birds such as song thrushes will bash a snail against a stone in order to break its shell and get at the soft body within. Often the thrush will have a favourite stone with which to carry out the task. This stone or anvil will be surrounded by bits of broken shell. 

Some areas seem to be more popular with snails than slugs and vice versa. In order to maintain a strong shell the snail prefers areas where there is sufficient calcium in the soil. Our increasing use of concrete must be a godsend to them. Being herbivorous snails feed on decaying plant material, algae, fungi, lichens and plant leaves. They often feed on the choice plants in gardens and a constant battle is raged between gardeners are their slimy foe.

Like slugs and other snails the Garden Snail is a member of the gastropod (stomach-foot) family. As it moves along a leaf or other plant material it scrapes the surface with its rasp like mouth parts a bit like a file.

The shell of the Garden Snail is shaped like a spiral cone and has a wrinkly surface. It is brownish in colour with a blotched mottled appearance. The shell opening has a thickish lip. The snail can withdraw completely into its shell for protection from predators or to prevent its body from drying out during very dry periods.  The shell means that the Garden Snail’s moist light grey body is less vulnerable than that of the slug. The snail has two pairs of tentacles. The smaller lower tentacles are used to feel. The pin-head eyes are situated at the end of the longer tentacles. Both sets of tentacles can be absorbed into the body at the slightest hint of trouble. Snail eyesight is very poor, having only the ability to distinguish light and dark areas. They are much more dependent on their sense of smell using this to locate food.

Being a moist bodied creature snails are much more active during damp conditions and at night.  If the conditions become too dry the snail will withdraw into its shell and seal the opening to prevent moisture loss. It can survive in this state for several months until the conditions are more favourable.

Like the slug the snail moves by rippling its muscular ‘foot’. To help its movement and reduce friction the snail produces mucus along which it can travel leaving the familiar silvery trail behind it. Snails are also very good at climbing and can often be spotted high up buildings.

In winter snails congregate in groups beneath stones or other material to hibernate sealed within their mobile home.

Like the slug the snail is hermaphrodite, in other words it possess both male and female parts. However, to reproduce it still needs to find a mate. Mating occurs during early summer. When a snail spots a suitable mate it will pierce the skin of its chosen one with a ‘love dart’ (maybe this is the original Cupid’s arrow!). The purpose of this isn’t really known, other than it seems to trigger mating after which both snails will lay about 100 small white pearl like eggs. The eggs are transparent and the tiny baby snails can be seen developing inside.

Apparently our garden snail is related to those farmed in France for cooking and it is edible. It was also used for centuries as a medicine for sore throats. A broth was made from its mucus – I think I actually prefer the sore throat!!

 

And the Puppy Dogs Tails?

Garden pest or gardener’s friend? Well I reckon it depends on the puppy dog and how well trained he/she has been! Personally I love them!