Stop 7: Frogs, fishes and ferocious beasties
Water creatures need safe places to hide, because survival depends on avoiding the really nasty water predators
Beauty and the beasties
Dragonflies and damselflies are some of our most beautiful insects – but their nymphs (young) are probably the most ferocious.
A nymph lives for two to five years in the mud. It’s is a relentless hunter, catching prey like tadpoles and small fishes by impaling them on its hooked lower lip.
The nymph eventually leaves the water by crawling up a reed stem, where it changes into the flying adult. But its life out of the water only last a few weeks.
It’s hisssstory for frogs
Grass snakes can often be seen swimming amongst the weeds, their favourite prey is frogs.
Safe in the pond
To your left is a small pond, built to take flood water from the canal. You can still see remains of the weir gates.
The pond is a similar habitat to the canal margins, but without the predatory fish. This has created a refuge for frogs, toads and newts. Look for spawn and tadpoles in spring.
Listen
From Jan to March, listen for croaking frogs as they spawn in the pond.
Directions
The next stop point is opposite the ‘fish bench’ on the three-bar signpost where the canal forks
Last date edited: 17 July 2015