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Something weird going on with frogs...

rose.annerose.anne Posts: 5
in Wildlife gardening
Our garden has always had a couple of frogs in it about this time of year, so last year me and my partner dug a hole and put in a washing basin tub full of water and a couple of bricks for them to get out. They loved it and we had loads of frogspawn. Sadly we did find a couple of dead frogs fully dried out, and after some research found that this is normal.

This year they returned for the 3rd year and have left a lot of frogspawn again. Sadly though we have found three dead frogs in the garden. Initially I worried it was our dog, but then we saw another hop right past him without him even flinching, so then I assumed it was the neighbours cat or a fox. But whilst one seems to have a tiny bit of blood on it, there were no obvious puncture wounds, and I'd assume a cat or fox would take the frog with them rather than leave it behind. 

So fast forward to this morning, I found a frog in our grass which has BRIGHT red eyes. I've never seen anything like it. I've tried googling it but can't find anything about a normal UK garden frog having red eyes. I've included a photo if it here:

Any thoughts? I worry the pond water could be an issue, but we changed half of it previously and it has pond weed in. I don't want to do much more to it in case we risk upsetting the frogspawn.... 

Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Your frog is a toad.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I was just about to say that @punkdoc :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rose.annerose.anne Posts: 5
    punkdoc said:
    Your frog is a toad.
    Cool thanks - any idea about the frequent deaths of the other guys though? This toad has also not moved all day, and even when I nudged him with a stick he didn't move at all. 
  • rose.annerose.anne Posts: 5
    Fairygirl said:
    I was just about to say that @punkdoc :D
    Cool thanks - any idea about the frequent deaths of the other guys though? This toad has also not moved all day, and even when I nudged him with a stick he didn't move at all. 
  • rose.annerose.anne Posts: 5
    pansyface said:
    pansyface said:
    Forward this question to these people


    https://www.froglife.org/what-we-do/disease-ranavirus-2/


    I really think you’d be better off asking the experts.
    Thanks for the link - I have indeed contacted the experts but it seems to be more of a 'reporting illness/death' thing rather than asking specific questions. Which is why I put it on here to see if anyone had had similar or could shed some light. I'm really just trying to see if anyone had any experience of similar things happening. 
  • rose.annerose.anne Posts: 5
    pansyface said:
    From your initial post I got the impression that it was a reportable illness (torpor)/death(3) thing. That’s what made me suggest it. 😕
    Yes having read the symptoms of the ranavirus I think it may well be it. I've reported the incidents but probably still won't have any answers. It's just sad seeing them dead in our garden every so often and not being sure why 😔
  • fiona floxfiona flox Posts: 38
    For the first time in three years we have frogspawn and they are now developing into little tadpoles.  There are hundreds of them, but over the winter the algae has developed and I would like to net it out but don't want to disturb the tadpoles.  Should I leave it alone until they are developed?


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