Two questions (1 Viewer)

[tony.hetheringt]

Hi All,
My garden pond ,about 4 feet x 7 feet, silted up and I replaced it last back end with a larger one, about 9 feet by 4.5 feet,and about 3 foot deep in places.
As usual I had masses of frogspawn which hatched successfully. It also contains x common newts where x = 15+.I have no fish.
Now my first question is:- Where have all my tadpoles gone,they disappeared virtually over about a week.
I did have a few pond snails, but a crafty carrion crow is a dab hand at getting these.
There is some Canadian pondweed ,but is just getting re-established.
What do newts eat?---tadpoles I hope otherwise I suspect some sort of poisoning although i don't use pesticides anywhere near it.
Question #2
Last year we holidayed near Exmouth,in Devon.
Walking one day we passed a small lake,with a fair bit of tree cover,approaching East Budleigh Common if anyone knows it .Anyway I was suprised to see quite a"large log" amble across the bank and drop into the water.Obviously a turtle or a terrapin, but what kind?
Thanks in anticipation. Tony

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Tony,

I think just about everything eats tadpoles, including other tadpoles, and, yes, newts too.

The turtle will probably be a released (dumped!) Red-eared Terrapin, one bought as a tiny pet in the mutant hero turtles craze and dumped when it got too big and smelly. There's all too many of them around in Britain now.

Michael

 

[tony.hetheringt]

Hi Tony,

I think just about everything eats tadpoles, including other tadpoles, and, yes, newts too.

The turtle will probably be a released (dumped!) Red-eared Terrapin, one bought as a tiny pet in the mutant hero turtles craze and dumped when it got too big and smelly. There's all too many of them around in Britain now.

Michael

Thanks Michael.
Maybe the temporary lack of plant life has contributed to the total loss of tadpoles,as I've never lost the lot before.Incidentally 4 or 5 years ago some tadpoles actually overwintered and frogletted early the following year.
Regards Tony