Welcome to the Amphibian Pond

Each image links to a page containing larger pictures, indentification guides and details of food and habitat requirements for each of the amphibian species shown here.

A bit about amphibians

Amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts are four-limbed, cold-blooded animals; this means that their body temperature is determined solely by their environment. Born from eggs laid in water, amphibians have the amazing ability to change (metamorphose from) a water-breathing juvenile form to an air-breathing adult form. (In fact frogs can breathe through their skin, which allows them to hibernate through the winter months beneath piles of rotting vegetation under the water and even buried in mud. Although they evolved from fishes many millions of years ago, amphibians look quite unlike most fish species. They are more often confused with reptiles - the latter, however, having no aquatic stage in their life cycle.

In recent years experts (people who specialise in this subject are known as herpetologists, by the way) have come to realise that all around the world amphibian populations are declining rapidly. The situation is now so serious that on a global scale something like a third of all amphibian species are now faced with the threat of extinction. The usual culprits - habitat loss and water pollution - are only part of the problem; climate change adds pressure, too, and in addition many amphibian populations are being wiped out by disease.

What can we do about it? Well, one simple and very obvious answer is to create new habitats where frogs, toads and newts can find clean water, plenty of insect life, and the vegatation they need to avoid excessive predation. Garden ponds are wonderful in this respect! Here at First Nature our own garden pond is a wildlife haven, thronging through the spring, summer and autumn with a succession of insects including dragonflies, damselflies and beetles, and with a diversity of aquatic and marginal wildflowers, including fringed water-lilies, rushes, flag irises, bogbean and marsh cinquefoil. The frogs, newts and toads love it there, and we enjoy watching and listening to them on summer evenings.

If you have even the smallest of gardens, build a pond and yu will be surprised just how quickly amphibians move in and show their gratitude.

Other amphibian web sites:

Organisations active in amphibian conservation include: