Frogs, toads and newts

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Britain is home to 13 species of amphibian, seven native and six introduced. The native species are the Common frog (Rana temporaria), Common toad (Bufo bufo), Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita), Pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae), Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus), Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). The Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex), Alpine newt (Mesotriton alepestris), Marsh frog (Pelophylax ridibundus), Edible frog (Pelophylax esculentus - a fertile hybrid of the pool and marsh frog), Bull frog (Lithobates catesbeianus) and Midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) have all been introduced and currently have a patchy distribution in the UK. There are occasional reports of African clawed toad (Xenopus laevis), an African species, but to the best of my knowledge there are no confirmed breeding populations from the wild.

Species

Common frog

Rana temporaria

Probably Britain's most widely recognised amphibian and a common resident of gardens, even in our towns and cities, although numbers have declined recently.

No questions exist for this group.

Bibliography

Amphibians and Reptiles: A Natural History of the British Herpetofauna - by Trevor Beebee & Richard Griffiths
HarperCollins Publishers -- 2000 -- ISBN: 978-0002200837

Biology of Amphibians - by William Duellman & Linda Trueb
The Johns Hopkins University Press -- 1994 -- ISBN: 978-0801847806

Frogs & Toads - by Trevor Beebee
Whittet Books -- 2007 -- ISBN: 978-1873580288

Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles - by Laurie Vitt & George Zug
Academic Press Inc -- 1993 -- ISBN: 978-0127826202

Tadpole Hunter - by Arnold Cooke
Pelagic Publishing -- 2023 -- ISBN: 978-1784274481

The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians - by Tim Halliday & Kraig Alder (eds)
Oxford University Press -- 2004 -- ISBN: 978-0198525073