How do frogs and toads choose their breeding ponds? Do they always return to the same place where they were born?
There are several theories on how frogs and toads choose their breeding ponds: 1. They return to the closest pond regardless of whether or not they originated from that pond. Although it is hard to keep track of individual frogs and toads, we can observe the numbers and the diversity of the amphibian populations in the ponds every year. 2. There a chemical clues left by other frogs and toads, especially the adults. 3. The light reflection varies from pond to pond. The frogs and toads may be selecting the different reflective qualities. 4. The frogs and toads may remember the way they left the pond. To learn more about this phenomenon, check out Biology of Amphibians by Duellman and Trueb.
