Animal Kingdom

Chordate Phylum: Amphibians: The common frog

This frog is found all over Europe north of the Pyrenees and the Alps. It is found where the atmosphere is humid but it can be found far away from open water. In the breeding season the adults will migrate back to ponds and streams to mate and lay eggs. The mating calls of the males can be heard in early spring. Each female may lay up to 2000 eggs which form a mass of jelly called spawn. The tadpoles hatch from the eggs but after a few weeks they develop into small frogs which leave the water. Frogs and other amphibians are becoming rarer because of human activities (draining marshland and polluting water).

• Close Window

© Paul Billiet, Shirley Burchill, Alan Damon and Deborah James 2009