Froglets - time to release?

[MamaPizza]

In March we found loads of eggs in our pond. About a month later when we were clearing out some gunk we had loads of tiny tadpoles in the net. We decided to raise them and we were successful. It was an exciting journey seeing them change. They are now at their final stages and we got a couple of froglets jumping already and others still tadpoles with legs emerging.

When and how do we release them? We put their big bucket near the pond, will they be safe there if they want to go back into it? What is going to happen?

They are so cute and I just want to make sure they will be ok. Look at how they changed (wish I had taken more pics in between, it was fascinating)

[MamaPizza]

Or is it even possible to keep a couple as pets in a fishtank? DS loves them so do I

[nikki1978]

Well technically you are not supposed to release frogs into the wild but I have about 150 growing tadpoles in my pond so I have been taking them to the local pond and chucking them in as we are getting rid of the pond in September and I am buggered if I am chasing 100's of frogs around the garden trying to catch them!

[nikki1978]

I wouldn't keep them in a tank tbh

[lljkk]

I think I just bucketed mine into my pond. I wouldn't try to keep them, maybe they'd be fine fed on mince and with somewhere to crawl out, but I think they need cold winters outside and proper wild slugs and that kind of thing to eat. They like to hibernate on land, too, so how would you manage that?

[MamaPizza]

Wow, that's quick replies!

Ok, so not keeping them. But is it ok to just leave their bucket near the pond now so they can jump out when ready? We put some rocks in, so they can get out if they like to, is that ok?

[lljkk]

Yeah, that should work, I presume bucket is sunk into ground?. Temperature of the bucket must be the same as the pond water ideally, so right next to pond is ideal. You'll ideally keep feeding them, too. Some of them may stay tadpoles all summer (they hibernate over winter and turn into froglets next yr). So would be best off going into main pond in September if they are still taddies. Froglets will all get out on own.

[BertieBotts]

Yes just leave the bucket near the pond, they'll find their way.

[BertieBotts]

BTW there's no point releasing frogs elsewhere, because they will try to find their way back to the pond where they hatched to spawn again next year. So you'll just get them coming back anyway (not sure what they do if it's miles away!)

[BertieBotts]

I love tadpoles and frogs! :)

[MamaPizza]

Yes, bucket is actually in the pond now, on one of the raised ledges for pond plants, so same temperature. And there are plants left and right of them, so they can go exploring when they are ready.
For the last months we always changed their bucket water by adding pond water, it seems to have worked.

They are honestly so cute, it's the first time as we didn't have a pond last year and it's just so fascinating. DS loves his little science lesson, he even took them to school a couple of times at various stages to show them to the class (with the teacher's permission).

[MamaPizza]

He he, and I'm loving the Germany and Netherlands support on here, two of the best teams

[EauRouge]

I thoguht it was toads that did the migrating thing?

Anyway, we also raised some tadpoles this year and put them into the pond as soon as they were froglets. I had them in a plastic tub and acclimatised them to the pond in the same way I would have done with fish. They're doing really well and quite often ambush me when I'm doing the weeding.