Wildlife

Wild Common Frog Welfare and Population Monitoring

The common frog is a familiar garden species whose populations have declined due to habitat loss, pesticide use and ranavirus disease. Garden ponds are vital refuges.

Key Facts

Common frogs can lay 1,000-4,000 eggs per female in spring
Ranavirus disease causes mass mortality events in garden frog populations
Garden ponds increased dramatically since the 1960s and support frog refuges
Pesticides that kill invertebrates reduce frog prey and cause direct toxicity

Welfare Considerations

Frog welfare in gardens is maximised by pesticide-free management, pond maintenance without chemical treatments, and creating diverse terrestrial habitat. Ranavirus is notifiable to the Amphibian Disease Monitoring Programme.

What You Can Do

Report frog die-offs to the Frog Mortality Project at ARC
Maintain garden ponds without chemical treatments
Create log piles and vegetation for terrestrial frog habitat