Listen to the sounds these frogs make. It's a still night and the low rumbling sound of their croaking emanating from my pond is reverberating throughout the whole garden. Frog calls are mainly made by males to attract a mate and to show off their prowess: the frog with the loudest croak hopes to beat off competition.
When do frogs croak the loudest?
You can hear frog calls in March. Interestingly, individuals usually return to the pond in which they were born, making the same journey year after year. Frogs are also more active at night and tend to travel under the cover of darkness for safety. They are at their loudest when they first arrive at the pond, which tends to be at night.
Frog courtship
Frogs normally lead solitary lives, but when courting they group together. The males latch onto the backs of females in an alarming fashion, kicking away their competitors until the female releases her eggs. Once the eggs are fertilised the frogs disperse to resume their solitary lives, leaving behind clouds of frogspawn which will soon hatch.
