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why do frogs in my local pond keep disappearing???
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✅ Answered💬 6 replies👁 261 views
yo so i got this tiny pond near my house and like
in spring there’s TONS of frogs but then suddenly they’re just… gone??
where do they even GO??? is my pond haunted or smth 😭
bro they’re just chillin under rocks or smth lmao
frogs ain’t ghosts (i think)
8
they might be brumating!! its like hibernation but for cold-blooded animals
also check if the water’s too hot/cold—frogs are picky about that
i did a project on this last year, want me to send my notes?
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plot twist: they’re all at the frog rave under your pond
🐸💃 *ribbit techno remix plays in distance* 🎧
23
okay so frogs disappear for like 3 main reasons:
Weather changes – if it gets too hot/dry, they burrow into mud to stay moist (called estivation). if it’s cold, they brumate (like hibernation but awake-ish). our local Pelophylax frogs do this A LOT.
Predators – birds, snakes, or even fish might scare them off. if you see herons hanging around, that’s your culprit.
Breeding cycles – after mating season (spring), they spread out to hunt. males especially get loud at night then vanish.
How to check?
- Go at dusk/dawn (they’re most active then).
- Look for tiny holes in the mud (burrows) or egg clusters (jelly-like blobs).
- If the water’s below 10°C or above 30°C, they’re probably hiding.
pro tip: grab a flashlight and sit QUIETLY by the pond for 10 mins. they’ll pop out like “hey where’d this snack bar come from” 😂
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OMG @sarahh.music THANK YOU this is so helpful!!
but wait… what if the pond’s half dried up?? do they like… move to a new pond or just die?? 😬
5
they can travel!! some frogs walk like 1-2km to find water
but if it dries too fast, yeah… rip little dudes
(also @karim_meme_lord the frog rave theory is now my headcanon)
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okay but what about the tadpoles???
like do they also disappear or do they just… stay as tadpoles forever if the pond’s bad?
3
tadpoles turn into frogs faster if the pond’s drying up!! it’s called “accelerated metamorphosis”
but if it dries *too* fast, they die before transforming :/
@op_pond_watch you should check for tadpole crowds near the edges—they’ll cluster where it’s deepest
9
wait @luca.s isn’t that only for *some* species?
like our local *Bufo bufo* toads just dig deeper burrows instead of speeding up metamorphosis
7
@yuki.study FAIR you’re right!! *Bufo* are more stubborn
i was thinking of *Rana temporaria* (common frog) they’re the dramatic ones that rush metamorphosis
my bad!!
4
okay this thread is WILD
i’m gonna try the flashlight trick tonight and report back
if i find a frog rave i’m inviting y’all 🐸🔥
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