Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 119 views

    ARG Amphibian ID Guide 2014

    Uploaded by

    3582
    This document provides information to identify common UK amphibians including frogs, toads, and newts. It describes their key distinguishing physical features at different life stages from eggs and larvae to adults. For example, common frogs have smooth skin and variable coloring while common toads have rougher skin and brown coloring with darker markings. It also notes the differences between native and non-native species such as water frogs and provides details to identify protected species like great crested newts.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    ARG Amphibian ID Guide 2014

    Uploaded by

    3582
    119 views6 pages
    This document provides information to identify common UK amphibians including frogs, toads, and newts. It describes their key distinguishing physical features at different life stages from eggs and larvae to adults. For example, common frogs have smooth skin and variable coloring while common toads have rougher skin and brown coloring with darker markings. It also notes the differences between native and non-native species such as water frogs and provides details to identify protected species like great crested newts.

    Original Description:

    UK wildlife

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document provides information to identify common UK amphibians including frogs, toads, and newts. It describes their key distinguishing physical features at different life stages from eggs and larvae to adults. For example, common frogs have smooth skin and variable coloring while common toads have rougher skin and brown coloring with darker markings. It also notes the differences between native and non-native species such as water frogs and provides details to identify protected species like great crested newts.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    119 views6 pages

    ARG Amphibian ID Guide 2014

    Uploaded by

    3582
    This document provides information to identify common UK amphibians including frogs, toads, and newts. It describes their key distinguishing physical features at different life stages from eggs and larvae to adults. For example, common frogs have smooth skin and variable coloring while common toads have rougher skin and brown coloring with darker markings. It also notes the differences between native and non-native species such as water frogs and provides details to identify protected species like great crested newts.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 6

    Amphibian Identification

    Common frog
    Adults 6-7 cm.
    Smooth skin, which
    appears moist.
    Coloration variable,
    includes brown,
    yellow and orange.
    Some females have
    red markings on lower
    body.
    Usually has a dark
    mask marking behind
    the eye.
    Breeding male

    Markings also variable,


    including varying amounts
    of black spots and stripes.

    Grey/pale blue
    throat.
    Thick front legs.
    Dark (nuptial) pad
    on inner toes of
    the front feet.

    Common toad

    Spawn is laid in gelatinous


    clumps.
    Adults 5-9 cm. Rough skin. Brown with darker markings.
    Less commonly, some individuals are very dark, almost
    black, others are brick-red.
    Males smaller than
    females. Breeding males
    can also be distinguished
    by dark (nuptial) pads on
    innermost two toes of the
    front feet.

    Breeding pair

    Toad spawn is laid


    in gelatinous
    strings, wrapped
    around vegetation.
    Less conspicuous
    than common frog
    spawn.

    Makes small hops rather than


    jumps of common frog.

    Juveniles are
    similar colours
    to adults,
    including
    brick-red.

    Toadlets transforming from the


    tadpole stage are often very dark
    in colour.

    ARG UK

    Young froglets look like


    smaller versions of the
    adults.

    Natterjack toad

    Strictly protected
    species, requiring
    a licence to handle
    or disturb.

    Similar in size and appearance to common toad,


    but with a pale stripe running along the back.

    This is a rare species, unlikely to be found outside


    specific dune and heathland habitats.

    Tadpoles

    On hatching common frog and toad tadpoles


    are black. As they develop, common frog
    tadpoles become mottled with bronze, whereas toad tadpoles
    remain uniformly dark until the last stages of development.

    Frog

    Common frog and toad tadpoles generally complete


    development in the summer, but development rates are
    variable; some tadpoles may not transform until later in the
    year, or they may even remain as tadpoles over winter,
    becoming much larger than normal.

    Toad

    Water frog

    Tadpoles of water/green frogs grow larger than native frog


    and toad tadpoles. There are usually mottled markings on
    the base of the tail and the belly is usually white.

    This is a group of non-native


    frogs, including pool, edible
    and marsh frogs (although there is one population of pool
    frogs which is native). There is considerable variation in
    colour and markings within each species, so identification by
    eye can be difficult. Water frogs breed in late spring/early
    summer. Males call loudly at this time and sporadically later
    in the summer. The calls are a useful way of distinguishing
    the species and can be heard on the Alien Encounters
    website (www.alienencounters.org.uk).

    Water/green frogs

    Pool frog
    Pool frogs are similar in size to the common frog.
    Male
    Female

    Female (native
    form)

    Calling marsh frog

    Calling pool frog

    Calling male water frogs inflate a pair of balloonlike vocal sacs, one either side of the head.
    These sacs are dark grey in marsh frogs, white
    in pool frogs and pale grey in edible frogs.

    Edible frog
    Grows to a little larger than the common frog.

    A large frog growing to 13 cm (much larger than the common frog). Variable coloration and
    markings. May, or may not, have pale dorsal stripe. Marsh frogs usually have some vivid green
    coloration, but some can be predominantly brown.

    Marsh frog

    Dorsolateral ridge.

    Sometimes mistaken for North American bullfrog, but marsh frogs have dorsolateral ridges and calling males have
    paired vocal sacs, either side of the head (both features absent in bullfrogs).

    North American bullfrog

    Black spots on body of tadpole.


    The tadpole stage can last
    several years and tadpoles
    grow to a large size, exceeding
    10 cm.

    A very large, non-native frog growing to 15 cm. Calls loudly and breeds
    during the summer (call can be heard on the Alien Encounters website
    www.alienencounters.org.uk).

    Ridge behind eye runs


    around ear-drum.
    There is no
    dorsolateral ridge.
    Young frogs squeak
    when disturbed.
    Unlikely to be found (there is only one known
    population in the UK) but vigilance is important
    to identify any additional released animals.

    Midwife toad

    Froglet with remains of tail

    A small non-native species, growing up to


    5 cm. Rough skin, so potentially mistaken for
    a juvenile common toad. Midwife toads,
    however, have vertical pupils (horizontal in
    common toad) and males carry the eggs.
    Few established populations, which are
    usually associated with gardens.
    Secretive, but has a distinctive call, a single,
    repeated tone, like an electronic bleep, given
    on warm summer evenings (can be heard on
    www.alienencounters.org.uk).

    Male
    carrying
    eggs

    Smooth newt
    A widespread species which breeds in a
    variety of water bodies. Often found in
    garden ponds.

    Male

    Female

    Grows to about 10 cm. Breeding male has an undulating crest


    running from head to tail tip.

    Non-breeding male

    Male

    Female

    Non-breeding adults live mostly on land. Juveniles live entirely on


    land.
    Juvenile (eft)
    Both sexes have an orange or yellow
    belly stripe and rounded spots, which are
    larger in the male.

    Palmate newt

    Grows to 9 cm. Breeding male has a ridge running along the back, rather than a crest.
    Dark, webbed hind feet, and tail ends in filament.
    Nonbreeding
    male

    There are two


    pale coloured
    nodules on the
    underside of
    the hind feet
    of the female.

    Breeding male

    Female

    Female looks similar to smooth newt.

    Palmate

    Smooth

    Throat of palmate newt has no


    pigment (looks pink). Throat of
    smooth newt is off-white and
    usually spotted.

    Underside (male)
    Juveniles live on land.

    Juvenile (eft)

    Great crested newt


    Grows to 16 cm, but usually
    smaller. Crest in male has break at
    base of tail. Silvery-white stripe
    towards rear of tail conspicuous.

    Male

    Both sexes have rough,


    granular skins and yellow/
    orange bellies with irregular
    black spots.

    Female

    Female has no crest and an orange/


    yellow stripe running along the lower
    edge of the tail.
    Outside the breeding season
    the males crest shrinks to a
    ridge along the back.

    Juveniles look like smaller


    versions of the female and may
    live on land or in the water.

    Orange/yellow
    coloration on
    underside extends
    to flanks (not
    confined to central
    stripe). This
    continues along
    lower edge of tail in
    females.

    Non-breeding male

    Strictly protected
    species, requiring
    a licence to
    handle or disturb.

    Juvenile

    Juveniles are
    similar to females
    but without any
    cloacal swelling..

    Male

    Juvenile

    Female

    Alpine newt

    Male

    Female

    Underside is bright orange,


    without spots (although there
    may be black spots on the throat
    in some cases).

    Adults 8-11 cm, females


    often much larger than
    males. A non-native
    species restricted to few
    sites, but becoming
    increasingly common. Most
    likely to be found in garden
    ponds, or ponds near to
    gardens.
    Females have a marbled
    pattern on the back.

    Underside (female)

    Newt eggs
    Newt eggs are usually wrapped, singly, in vegetation. Leaves
    folded around great crested newt eggs are particularly
    conspicuous. To identify, unfold the leaf. Identification of
    undeveloped eggs is easiest.
    Great crested
    newt eggs are
    white, sometimes
    with a tint of green
    or orange (jelly
    capsule 5 mm).

    Eggs of smooth and palmate newts cannot


    be distinguished by eye, but they are
    smaller (jelly capsule 3 mm) than great
    crested newt eggs and are grey or beige
    when newly laid.

    Newt larvae

    Several great crested newt eggs folded


    into a single blade of flote grass, giving
    a concertina effect.

    Examine well-developed larvae (late May to July, or to August for great crested newts).

    Palmate and smooth newt larvae (above) are


    indistinguishable in the fieldbut do not have
    the long toes or spotted tail fins of great crested
    newt larvae. Grow to approximately 3 cm.
    Great crested newt larvae (above) have long toes and
    blotches of dark pigmentation on tail fins. Grow to
    approximately 5 cm.

    Overwintering and neoteny


    Young newts usually leave the
    water in late summer or autumn,
    although sometimes they remain as
    larvae over the winter (e.g. smooth
    newt, right).

    Neotenous smooth newt

    Exceptionally newt larvae grow to adult size, able


    to breed, but retaining their gills.

    Further information Howard Inns (2009, reprinted 2011). Britains Reptiles and Amphibians. WILDGuides.
    Amphibian and Reptile Conservation & Fred Holmes (2014)
    Additional photographs courtesy of Jon Cranfield, Ray Cranfield, Chris
    Gleed-Owen, Howard Inns, Mark Jones, Phyl King, Liam Russell,
    Duncan Sweeting and Rose Tichiner.

    Revised with financial assistance from Natural England.


    Amphibian and Reptile Conservation www.arc-trust.org

    You might also like