Spotter’s guide – common frog Darker patch behind eye Ridges on back Adult common frog lighter in colour Pointed snout Striped back legs Quick facts Scientific name: Rana temporaria Habitat Urban and rural areas, both in ponds and on land Behaviour Active during the day and will hibernate over winter Vital statistics Body size: 6 – 10 cm Colour: Usually an olive-green or brown, but sometimes yellow, pinkish or black Characteristics: l Dark patch or mask behind the eyes l Dark stripes on long back legs l Irregular marks on its back l Smooth and damp skin l Webbed back feet Movement: l Adults move in a hopping motion l Tadpoles are found swimming in ponds Identifying lifecycle stages Common frog Common toad Frogspawn Toadspawn Females lay spawn in clumps, usually in fairly These strings can be seen wrapped around shallow water. vegetation. Tadpole Tadpole Frog tadpoles group together when they first Toad tadpoles are always black and can form hatch. shoals or groups. As tadpoles develop their appearance changes from black to mottled brown. Froglet Toadlet Froglets are olive-green in colour, and may still Toadlets can range in colour from black to have tadpole features such as a tail. brown, and may still have toadlet features such as a tail. They can be found in ponds or on land. They can be found in ponds or on land. Identifying other similar-looking amphibians Natterjack toad Common toad (Very rare) Body size: 8 – 13 cm Body size: Up to 8 cm Colour: Brown to olive-brown Colour: Green, brown or cream Characteristics: Characteristics: l Rough, dry and warty skin l Thin yellow stripe down the centre of its back l Broad head and blunt nose l Short legs l Unwebbed back feet l Dark warts on its back with yellow or red tips l Horizontal oval pupil in eyes Movement: Crawling Movement: Crawling Pool frog Edible frog (Very rare) (Introduced) Body size: 5 – 11 cm Body size: Up to 6 cm Colour: Green and brown Colour: Brown or green-brown Characteristics: Characteristics: l Long legs l l Inflatable vocal pouches Males have vocal sacs outside their cheeks l Yellow stripe down the centre of its back to produce a high-pitched sound Marsh frog Midwife toad (Introduced in Kent and East Sussex) (Introduced in Bedfordshire) Body size: Up to 15 cm Body size: 5 cm Colour: Brown or green-brown Colour: Grey with small dark spots Characteristics: Characteristics: l Raised ridges running down both sides of l High, clear whistling call the body l Males may carry eggs around their back legs l Loud ‘quacking’ call Want to find out more about other species that need your help? Check out our Naturehood spotter’s guide series. House Hedgehog sparrow Small tortoiseshell Common frog butterfly Early bumblebee https://naturehood.uk Illustrations supplied by Chris Shields.