Caring for Frogspawn and Tadpoles - Overview

Tadpole with internal gills, three weeks after hatching. Photo 21399114 © Isselee | Dreamstime.com

The common frog, in spite of its name, is not common in many areas of Britain these days. In the intensively farmed countryside the frog has almost completely disappeared. Agricultural sprays, draining wetland habitats and filling-in small ponds that the frogs use as breeding sites, are the main reasons for the frogs’ decline.

Whilst it can be great fun to collect frog spawn in the spring, we wouldn't recommend it, as moving them from one place to another can spread diseases such as chytrids.  Amphibians will generally find their way over time to suitable ponds, so the most important thing is to create pond habitats that they will be attracted to.

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