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A frog has spawned in an old plant pot, worried it can’t get out though

rosamundboydpA6FqsynrosamundboydpA6Fqsyn Posts: 6
in Problem solving
hi 
we have discovered (much to our delight) a frog has spawned in a deep ceramic plant pot in our garden. 
It was a quarter full of water when we discovered it just now. So we filled it to the brim with water from our water butt (so the frog inside can swim to the top and climb out).
we haven’t moved it location-wise (just put things around it to stop our builders knocking -we are also having building work going on).however the spawn has now sunk to bottom of pot and it was floating on the top before.

We just put two live worms into it hoping our wormy sacrifice won’t be in vein. It’s now got it’s head poked out of the water with its feet resting on a little plant pot inside it (was there previously).

I hope we haven’t put it more at risk by doing any of these things? Or affected the spawn?

what should we do with it now is my question?

should we carefully put some bricks in so it can def get in and out? Keep it topped up with water so it can exit? Or transfer the whole lot somewhere?
Unfortunately we don’t have a pond, and I don’t want one right now, as I have a toddler. 

I’m pleased to have a frog but obviously want it to be happy and healthy as possible so I’m willing to take it elsewhere if that is what’s best for it. 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Rose and Nick of Urmston, Manchester 
 

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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd gently lower something like a housebrick into it so the frog can climb out of the pot easily, and maybe something on outside so it can easily get back in.
    Devon.
  • rosamundboydpA6FqsynrosamundboydpA6Fqsyn Posts: 6
    Update: the frog must have hopped out of the pot as I witnessed it en route to going round the back of the shed
  • SueG1SueG1 Posts: 41
    If the frog has already spawned and it sounds like it has, just take it out and let it go in the garden. The tadpoles do not need their mother, and neither do they need feeding on meat for a while (your worms will just drown!). What you should do is transfer them to as large a shallow washing up bowl as you can find, or something similar set into the ground so that the top is level with the soil surface, or preferably dig a mini pond in the garden somewhere with shallow sloping sides so that they can get out. Just line it with some plastic sheeting and put some pond plants in there for the tadpoles to feed on until they get bigger. (local garden centre/ pet shop or somewhere that sells aquarium/pond fish) When they're very small they will just feed on green algae. You will need to keep it topped up with water until the froglets are big enough to leave.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    A mini pond if fine for a toddler and they would enjoy it. A washing up bucket would do.
  • rosamundboydpA6FqsynrosamundboydpA6Fqsyn Posts: 6
    Thanks all. Does it matter where the mini pond is?
    the current pot is south facing. The frog picked a wet but warm spot to spawn ☀️. 
    but the only place we have soil to dig is north and east facing boarders of our lawn. Much colder/limited sunshine 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    It's is something like a washing up bowl it doesn't even have to be sunk, you could just put bricks or rocks or logs around the edge so critters can get in and out and something similar in the bucket for easy beach access.

    Below is a washing up bowl from last summer.



  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    http://ypte.org.uk/factsheets/caring-for-frogspawn-and-tadpoles/guide This gives a brief but useful guide to tadpole care. We used to feed our indoor reared tadpoles on small amounts of tinned cat food once they reached the carnivorous stage.

  • FritillaryFritillary Posts: 498
     Sorry, if the frog was on her own the spawn will not be fertilized. The male has to be there at the time she spawns to fertilize the eggs. :/
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Fritillary said:
     Sorry, if the frog was on her own the spawn will not be fertilized. The male has to be there at the time she spawns to fertilize the eggs. :/
    You beat me too it @Fritillary ... I was just about to say that. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Poor mama frog :(

    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
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