confusion

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

A mating couple of grass snakes was observed 2 days ago in the east of Belgium.

In NE France tens of grass frogs were in chorus and calling.

Spring is here!?

[Bobby Bok]

Same here! Mating grass snakes in the north of Holland a week ago. The grass frogs in my pond are calling as are the marsh frogs. Several newt species also returned to the water after the very dry months we had in the beginning of this year so you can see a lot of larvae in the ponds now.

[Thomas Bader]

In Vienna several Hyla are calling, which is quite normal in autumn. No confusion up to now.
Just an unusual late summer and autumn without rain for weeks

[Gerald Ochsenhofer]

Hi, concerning the natrix: matings or at least mating behaviour in autumn (even in Nov.) is mentioned in several sources.
We once had a discussion here, concerning very small N. natrix found relatively early in the year (unfortunately only in German ).

But you are right - it something nice and not so usual, to observe such things late in the year

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

When would the clutch be laid and hatch (after autumn mating)?

[Gerald Ochsenhofer]

Hehe, that's the interesting question. I only found something, that (rarely) N. n. eggs were discovered in a dunghill over winter, but no info about laying, hatching or stuff.

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Hi
On 20.05.2010 I found recently spawned eggs of common toad in my garden pond (Gorzow Wielkopolski). During that season this species spawned also in normal term- 29.03.2010. According to Juszczyk W. (1987) Płazy i gady krajowe. Tom 2. Płazy (Amphibia). PWN, Warszawa In the lowlands of Poland latest terms of B. bufo spawning occur during the second part of april. And according to this publication the latest therm of mating vocalisation is 13.V. Thus, I think that my observation confirms possibility of occurrence B.b. x B. viridis and B.b. x B. calamita hybrids in Poland. Below You can see photograph of spawn from 20.05.2010 and a photohraph that shows size differences between tadpoles from 20.05.2010 and those from 29.03.2010


Photograph was taken on 21.05.2010.

Photograph was taken on 30.05.2010.
Greetings
Michal

[Sandra Panienka]

Interesting topic. During the last couple of years I've sometimes found common toads with black nuptial pads in autumn and wondered if that was due to the warmer temperatures we even had in November.

This is a picture of a common toad I took on November 15th 2010. After dark we still had like 15-18 °C if I remember that correctly. It was a crazily warm weekend for November. I even found a green toad that night.


This pic I took on October 2nd this year. It's a male R. temporaria. Sorry for the nuptial pad being slightly out of focus.


Besides that I found nothing out of the ordinary this year.

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Hi
This year I noted Bufo bufo bufo male with good developed black nuptial pads on October 27th. As for Rana temporaria- on 01.09.2011 from drainage manhole I rescued male of this species with well developed nuptial pads. This specimen was somewhat unique. He was screeching when I was trying to rescue him and when he was already caught, unkenreflex was presented- You can see it here http://www.biol.uni.wroc.pl/herp/herp_p ... e/Rt24.htm
Greetings
Michał Szkudlarek

[Daniel Kane]

I think that the nuptial pad of the males develop from Autumn so that they are ready for use in spring the following year, same as the eggs within the female. I suppose that over winter the frog will be a lower temperature so perhaps is development of secondary sexual characteristics did not begin until the animal is in hibernation development of these features might not be able to complete.Frogs in my back garden found near the end of October and in November have been seen in the same state as your one seems to be in. I think it's quite normal for this to happen. Same for the unken reflex; Rana temporaria seems only to cover eyes with the forelimbs, not arching the back like the fire-bellied toads do (although it seems a lot less common in Rana than Bombina)