European Common Frog (Rana temporaria)

The European common frog is found widely across the UK, and are a regular inhabitant of grassland and freshwater habitats and can be identified by their dark, triangular patternation across the eyes and tympanic membrane. Numbers are thought to be declining, predominately due to the degradation of suitable habitats and the introduction of diseases including ranavirus and chytrid fungus.

• Common frog can be requested as an additional species on a GCN kit analysis for an extra £30 (+VAT) per sample.

• Look for sites where there is a history of common frogs – Individuals are known to return to their development ponds in subsequent years for mating.
• Avoid stepping into the pond – this can stir up sediment, throwing up sediment DNA and any inhibitory molecules present. Sediment may clog the filter and prevent sufficient volumes of water being filtered.
• As a biosecurity measure to reduce the spread of amphibian diseases, it is important to not reuse any equipment from the kits for different samples to avoid potential contamination between ponds. Please also adhere to other key biosecurity measures when taking samples.