![]() ![]() It’s surprising how far frogs are able to roam, with common frogs found to travel 500m and common toads travelling up to 5km. For many species this means heading to ponds during the breeding season, and spending the rest of the time on land, hunting insects in meadows, among leaf litter and in other locations. Most frog species are not fully aquatic, and will spend part of their time in the water and part outside. It’s believed that frogs and toads are able to sense these changing humidity levels, and then travel towards higher humidity in search of suitable wetlands. These levels tend to be higher around waterbodies, such as ponds, as the water in the pond evaporates and rises into the air. The humidity levels naturally fluctuate over time and in different areas. Humidity refers to moisture levels carried in the air. Like many animals, they are naturally drawn towards places with higher prey densities. Most frog species are generalist feeders, and will eat almost anything they can get their mouths around. Once at the waterbody, insects can multiply quickly if the conditions are good enough. For these species flying over waterbodies is a great way to find them. Many of these insects have an adult form that can fly, such as dragonflies, mosquitos and water beetles. Insects are a common part of pond life, from those that live below the water, to those that live above it. Uses visual cues like tree shadows and landmarks for orientation Relies on visual memory of specific landmarks to navigate in its range Utilizes the moon and stars for orientation during long-distance travel Yet, there is a bit of science behind a frog’s ability to hone in on their new homes. So how do these frogs know where the new pond is? Without the ability to fly, and only small legs for travelling long distances, it really seems like some kind of froggy-magic. While this may be unsuprising when the new pond neighbours an existing pond, it can be particularly amazing when there are no frog-friendly premises nearby. If you’ve ever created a new pond, you may have been surprised how quickly amphibians, such as frogs, may have appeared. For these species finding ponds can be a challenge, particularly as many ponds disappear over time, filling in with sediments. Yet, there are many species of frog and toad that use pond as an important feeding and breeding ground.
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