Dead frogs?

[vespaboy]

Has anybody else been getting more than normal amounts of dead frogs in/around their ponds this week?

I actively encourage them to my pond, but over the last 2 days have found 2 which look like they've been crushed to death (insides hanging out).

I Know their mating can be vigorous but can they actually kill each other in this way or is something else causing it?

[logman]

The frogs have still to arrive in my area yet, but I will keep my eyes peeled for dead ones, thanks

I think it might be a good idea, if you contact your local wildlife trust to find out if this has occurred elsewhere, as they may want to keep it monitored if it is a desease going round. I also wondered if cats may be responsible ?

[Rabelais]

Herons, dogs or cats can leave them in a similar condition

[vespaboy]

I thought the same about cats, dogs etc but one of the frogs was on the bottom of my pond.

[WendyS]

How upsetting. I've read that mating frogs can stifle large fish to death because of their grip when they've mistaken them for a mate but I've never heard of them actually physically tearing each other apart. Do you have any visiting herons or foxes who could possibly be doing this. The other possibility is that they're currently migrating to ponds to mate, usually in the night. Could local cats be pouncing on them, playing with them, but eventually allowing them to get away and they finally make it to the pond where they die from their injuries. It's a mystery to me. I do remember seeing this happening to one frog in our pond a couple of years ago but never solved the mystery and had forgotten about it until you posted so will watch this thread in case somebody comes up with a possible reason.

[vespaboy]

Further to the above all of the frogs that were in my pond (I could count at least 50 at any time, especially early morning) have now gone!

Is this the shortest mating period ever or will they return?

I am pleased to say there is loads of frogspawn so hopefully future frog population should be healthy.

[WendyS]

Know a couple of weeks have passed since you posed this question, but have just looked in my pond today and found one very dead frog with its insides chewed up. It was bright pink in colour underneath which suggests it may still have been in mating mode. Have no idea what did this but we have noticed quite a few cats coming into our garden lately early morning and late evening , so suspect it may have been out of the pond for a break and pounced upon by one of them. So far this is the only casualty but it was a very large frog, so possibly quite a mature one in terms of froggy life. (and sadly one who won't be returning again next year).

[WendyS]

Following up on my previous post, I can't quite believe what I've saw this morning. I'd just fished the dead frog out of the pond with a net, laid it on the grass nearby temporarily, intending to give it a decent burial after I'd popped indoors for a cup of coffee. Whilst looking out of the window waiting for the kettle to boil a huge crow swooped down, picked up the dead creature and disappeared off into the trees with it dangling from its beak. They say nothing is wasted in nature