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Just found a dead frog alongside my pond and wondering if it had some disease as it has skin discolouration. I've e-mailed Froglife.org but thought someone here might also have an idea.

I'll put links to the pics rather than uploading them here 'cause I don't want to put anyone off their tea

I couldn't see any sign of injury on the frog and she'd obviously been in the pond at some point because she has duckweed on her.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/ ... e004-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/ ... e005-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v446/ ... ure006.jpg

Wassail

Karen

Poor thing looks very bloated so it could be dropsy, or it may have suffocated if the pond froze over for a few days.

Hopefully the bloating might be from gasses built up from the natural decay. Lot's of mateing frogs around (I think there is anothe post about that around) it might be exhaustion from traveling to it's spawning pond. The other night I nearly stepped on one and had another leap across my path as he/she headed to the orgy at the millpond!

Now does anyone know if that's lucky or has some sort or old lore about it, in the same way as black cats crossing you're path????????

I think the bloating might also be because of carrying eggs. The females are very big before spawning - and it looks like our annual build up is starting. I'm hoping it is exhaustion or something similar and not something that can spread.

we found two dead ones today - not in the pond but en route ( my lovely son had a wonderful time playing 'frog funeral ew'

I figured there are so many in my pond at the mo its not surprised you find a few dead ones... just shear numbers. hope I'm right

I found a dead one the other day too - half eaten, probably a heron.

Millymollymandy wrote:I found a dead one the other day too - half eaten, probably a heron.

I would expect a heron to eat the whole frog

I have also seen ducks eat frogs. (there was I looking over the farm pond at my parents place, at the pretty scene - the sunlight dappling the water.. the ducks swimming by, then one went by with a frog in its beak.. the frog clearly alive and fighting back.. a brief struggle and the frog went in.. whole and alive --nature.. lovely aint it)

Have heard back from the Froglife people (who were very helpful) and they don't think it was a disease, probably exhaustion of some other cause.

Their website http://www.froglife.org/

There are a few frogs in the pond but we haven't had the usually mass invasion yet - or the high volume croaking, I do love listening to that.

Wassail

Karen