Common Frog
Common frog on mossy bank. I spotted this frog crossing a busy logging track, so I picked it up out of harms away and placed it on the mossy edge of the spawning pool. It sat happily for some time, allowing me to capture a few images before it hopped into the water. Derbyshire, Peak District NP.
About the Common Frog:
“Common frogs have smooth skin that varies in colour from grey, olive green and yellow to brown. They have irregular dark blotches, a dark stripe around their eyes and eardrum, and dark bars on their legs. They are able to lighten or darken their skin to match their surroundings.
This species is widespread in mainland Britain. Common frogs are most active at night, and hibernate during the winter in pond mud or under piles of rotting leaves, logs or stones. They can breathe through their skin as well as their lungs. They can emerge to forage during warm spells in the south west of the country.
In spring males croak to attract females. The male embraces a female and fertilises her eggs as she lays them in shallow, still water – frogspawn is a familiar sight. Tadpoles hatch, and over about 16 weeks gradually change into froglets: a process known as metamorphosis.” – https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/amphibians-and-reptiles/common-frog