The UK isn’t really celebrated for its wildlife. China has giant pandas, we have pigeons. Africa has lions, we have grey squirrels. However, I believe that all of our critters should be celebrated, no matter how insignificant you believe them to be. Not only because of the role they all play within the local ecosystem, but also because they are. They are living and breathing inhabitants of the earth, and each species has evolved unique and shared mechanisms to not only survive, but thrive in their habitat. Pretty cool, right?
The humble frog is no different. Of the 4,810 species of frogs worldwide, there are only 2 species of frogs in the UK: the common frog (Rana temporaria) and the pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae). Common frogs are the only frogs you can find in my hometown of Kent. Actually, they are the species that you are most likely to encounter anywhere in the UK.
At first glance, their appearance seems far from magnificent. Short, bulbous bodies, filled in by an autumnal pallet. However, the colour of the common frog depends on the environment they inhabit, making them more inconspicuous to predators. Common frogs also differ in personality, depending on where they come from. Island frogs are much braver than their mainland cousins, a trait which probably allowed them to relocate to an island and successfully create a new population in the first place!
If this wasn’t impressive enough, tadpoles have their own inbuilt form of sunscreen. Eggs are deposited in floating clusters on the surface of water. When hatched, the tadpoles are pretty much defenceless. In high altitudes, the tadpoles are threatened by the sun’s harsh rays. However, when faced with light, the skin of tadpoles produces two sunscreen chemicals, protecting them from the sun.
Despite the common frogs’ impressive talents, which have aided them in becoming one of the most common amphibians in the UK, they are not granted invisibility from the challenges which most wildlife face. The rising temperature of Earth has seen the spread of ranavirus in the UK; a disease which can make our frogs very sick.
When they’re not being taken down by deadly diseases, it is man made products which are doing the damage. Radiation from phone antennae can make the tadpoles develop into weak and sickly frogs, if they grow old at all. The rays can kill tadpoles, before they even have the chance to develop. Pesticides, which we use to keep insects away from plants, can make tadpoles smaller – making it harder for them to find mates and food when they leave the pond.
In time, the common frog may not be too common. If you have a pond, try and make it as frog friendly as possible by refraining from using pesticides and implementing a way for frogs to move from water to land with ease. If like myself, you are pondless, do not despair. Providing a sheltered area within your garden (using logs, plants and compost heaps) allows the frogs somewhere to rest over the winter.
If at first glance an animal fails to mesmerise you, I urge you to do some research. Over the next few weeks, your school schedule and routine will probably change. It’s hard to stay motivated when you’re working from home – so try to use this time to spark your curiosity. I’ll be around to help, offering short blog posts which will feed your imagination whilst teaching you about the world which surrounds you.
If you have any ideas for blog content – just drop a message in the comments or send me an email.
Brynstein Science 