Frogspawn, No Water

I came across copious amounts of frogspawn all over the place on my hike today in the Dublin Mountains. Apparently Irish Common Frogs purposely choose very shallow water to lay their eggs - sometimes up to 2,000 in a single clump! Shallow water warms up much faster in the spring sun, which helps the little tadpoles develop much quicker. However, this means if we have a dry spell or a drop in water levels, those shallow puddles can completely vanish, leaving the spawn stranded on the mud and grass.

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