British amphibians cannot tolerate excessively cold weather and so seek shelter in the winter months to hibernate. This is usually around November to February when overnight temperatures drop, slowing their metabolism and making them become dormant. When looking for a place to hibernate they prefer cool, damp, and dark shelter where they can rest safe from any predators. Some frogs and newts choose to hibernate in the depths of your pond, ideally in a little habitat hide, within the gravel bottoms, or even amongst lily rhizomes where they burying themselves in the silts and absorbing oxygen through their skin.

Your still water or ecosystem pond is therefore a great asset in helping amphibians in the winter months, even if they don’t hibernate in the bottom of your pond they may seek refuge in the terrestrial margins before moving back into your pond ecosystem ready for the hectic spawning season! Through providing this unique habitat you are helping to conserve amphibian populations, the usual suspects compromising of the Common Frog, Common Toad and the 3 newty musketeers: Smooth, Great-crested and Palmate.