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

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.