- Lifespan
- 8–12 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 6–9 cm body length; 6–15 g
- Habitat
- Breeds in ponds, ditches, and wetlands; adults occupy grassland, woodland, and hedgerows, often far from water except during breeding season.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout mainland Britain and Wales, absent from Ireland. Resident year-round; hibernates in winter beneath leaf litter, logs, and mud.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; feeds on invertebrates including insects, spiders, worms, slugs, and snails. Tadpoles are omnivorous, grazing on algae and detritus.
- Prey
- Insects, spiders, worms, slugs, snails, small invertebrates
- Predators
- Herons, grass snakes, smooth newts, dragonfly nymphs (tadpoles), foxes, badgers, and crows
- Mating Season
- January to April, peaking in February and March
- Breeding
- Females lay 1,500–3,500 eggs in communal jelly-like clumps in shallow water. Tadpoles hatch in 3–12 days and metamorphose into froglets within 12–16 weeks. Single brood per year.
- Behaviour
- Largely solitary and nocturnal outside breeding season. Males are highly vocal during breeding, producing distinctive croaking calls. They are ambush predators, remaining motionless before striking at prey with their tongues.