How do frogs, toads and other amphibians know how and where to find new bodies of water?

Question

We’ve got a new pond which must be half a mile away from the nearest lake/river yet frogs and toads have populated it almost immediately. How do they know where to find these new habitats?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Amphibians explore and migrate during cool moist weather. They can cover a lot of distance that way, especially if they can find damp places to take shelter in between stages of their journey.

Most animals (including us) are also perfectly capable of smelling water from a good distance. Wind blowing across a body of water will have more moisture in its air than the surrounding air. An exploring frog that smells water on the wind will likely come to check it out.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

I heard it’s because of birds too. They walk/swim through water and might get some eggs stuck on their legs. Then when they visit your pond, they might lose some. Eggs hatch and you have toads and frogs.

Also some of your neighbours might have a pond too so they might not have migrated that far at all.

Edit: spelling

Answer 5

well when birds land in one body of water, the eggs of amphibians/fish can stick to the birds and be transported to another body of water. Also, amphibians do explore land and can travel some pretty good distances on damp evenings, nights, mornings.

Answer 6

Tornadoes, strong storms and floods can carry animals like fish, and fish eggs from other bodies of water as well.

Answer 7

a lot of stuff that lives in water will lay eggs capable of sticking to ducks and other water foul. Frogs don’t need to walk from one pond to the next. they just need their eggs to stick on bird feet.

Eventually you’ll find fish or minnows in your pond.

Answer 8

The answer most likely lies in the taste and odor chemicals 2-MIB and Geosmin. They can be detected in such small quantities and are produced by Cyanobacteria and algae. The smell that makes a lake smell like a lake.

Answer 9

Did you post your pond on Twitter? There you go.

Answer 10

We have a few water tanks (maniacs ponds) on our deer lease that somehow always have turtles in them. No idea where they came from or how they find them but they always do.