Garden ponds provide critical habitat for UK amphibians including frogs, toads, and newts, supporting reproduction, foraging, and refuge from predation.
Key Facts
Common frogs, smooth newts, and common toads all use garden ponds for breeding
Garden ponds are one of the most effective single actions for local wildlife
Pond quality is affected by water depth, marginal vegetation, and absence of fish
Great crested newts are legally protected and sometimes found in garden ponds
Disease including ranavirus and chytrid fungus can affect pond amphibians
Welfare Considerations
Creating and maintaining garden ponds directly improves welfare of amphibians by providing essential breeding habitat that has been lost from the wider countryside.
What You Can Do
Build or improve a garden pond with native marginal plants
Avoid introducing fish, which predate on amphibian eggs and larvae
Report disease outbreaks to the Frog Mortality Project