Common Frog - Rana temporaria

Typical frogs differ from all other European frogs and toads in having a distinct fold of skin down each side of the back, and in laying their spawn in masses. From the typical toads (Bufonidae), they also differ in their smooth skins. Pupils are horizontal and hind feet are webbed. They breed in ponds and the shallow parts of lakes and slow-moving streams.

There are two distinct groups of these frogs in north-west Europe - the brown or grass frogs, such as the common frog illustrated here, and the green or water frogs, such as the marsh and pool frogs. The brown frogs are largely terrestrial and diurnal, frequenting water only around the breeding period. The green frogs are much more aquatic and spend much of their time close to water, into which they leap when undisturbed.

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