Frisky frogs make most of sunshine

THE woolly scarves have been packed away, the T-shirts donned and a spring has been put into everyone’s step.

The sunshine of the last few days has been warmly welcomed by people in the Capital fed up with weeks of frost, snow and biting cold winds.

But it isn’t just humans who’ve embraced the unseasonably mild conditions. Thousands of copulating frogs have suddenly emerged from their winter wilderness to make the most of the sunshine.

The amorous amphibians have appeared in huge numbers at city ponds and rivers in the last few days - even though their mating season isn’t due to start until next week.

Animal welfare groups said the frogs’ earlier-than-expected friskiness was probably down to the warm weather.

One of the main hotbeds is the Royal Botanic Garden. The Inverleith attraction’s ponds provide an ideal breeding ground for the amphibians and, over the last few days staff have been left stunned by the number of frogs bounding into the garden and making a bee-line for the water features.

The phenomenon was there for all to see on Friday when Prince Charles walked past a pond full of sex-crazed frogs near the planned memorial garden for the Queen Mother. One member of staff said it resembled "a frog orgy".

The frogs have hopped into the Botanics from the surrounding gardens and have left frog spawn in almost every pond. Garden supervisor Pete Brownless said: "We have seen a record number of frogs this year. No-one can remember a time when there were more of them."

Mr Brownless has been overseeing a study into the flowering times and the length of bloom of certain plants for the last four years, comparing it to data collected at the Garden between 1850 and 1895.

Published this week, the phenology study has shown that over the last year plants have begun flowering earlier, another effect of global warming. And he is in no doubt that this has affected the behaviour of the frogs as well.

"They have appeared a little early again, and over the last few years their mating cycle has come forward by maybe ten days," he said.

"But it shows just how much all the different cycles of the planet are tied together. Our study focuses on plants, but in turn they have an effect on frogs.

"The mating season will change as the weather changes, but it will also adapt to conditions.

"So if the insects hatch early, because the plants have flowered early, then the frogs will mate early to ensure there is plenty of food for their young."

The sudden dash for the waters has created its fair share of victims, with dozens of frogs killed on the roads around the Botanics alone.

Queen’s Drive, which runs past Dunsapie and St Margaret’s lochs around Arthur’s Seat, has also been closed by environment wardens to give toads heading for the ponds to mate a better chance of survival.

Rangers have erected "Beware of the Toads" signs at each end of St Margaret’s Loch in an attempt to alert motorists to the huge number of the creatures in the area.

But despite the deaths, the SSPCA was delighted with the number of frogs being spotted around the city.

Spokeswoman Leonora Merry said: "We have been advised that there are a large number of frogs being seen in Edinburgh, and the reason is that the weather over the past few days has been perfect for them to mate in and so they will all head out towards the nearest suitable location.

"We were concerned about the possibility of a cold snap but we seem to be settling nicely into spring, so it looks as though the frogs should survive. That is great news, as there had a been a decline in the number of amphibians.

"There is no doubt global warming is having an effect on these animals. That is why they are mating earlier and why so many more than normal are being seen."