Winterkill

Sadly, cleaning out the bigger pond yesterday I discovered five dead frogs. I was netting out the leaves that had fallen from my neighbour's apple tree in the autumn and brought up the five little froggie bodies.

According to Amphibian and Reptile Convervation this is sad but quite normal.

They write:

In particularly heavy winters, when ice forms over the pond for prolonged periods, frogs may suffer from 'winterkill'. Essentially, the ice forms a barrier which stops toxic gases (naturally caused by decaying pond detritus) escaping from the pond. In some ponds this can kill common frogs, males of which may choose to lie dormant on the bottom of the pond over winter.

I tried as hard as I could to keep both ponds with air holes during the awful frosts we had in December but it seems that it was not enough. At one point the ice was about four inches thick and nearly impossible to get through.

I know that nature takes care of her own and if there are any dead frogs still in the pond where I can't get to them, they will become food for many more of the pond's inhabitants. Still, I can't help but feel responsible.