Introduced Amphibians of the United Kingdom Quiz

Answer: African clawed toad

The other three toads mentioned are all real toad species in the family Bufonidae. The African clawed toad was spread around the globe as a pet and for use in determining pregnancy. A female toad would be injected with urine from a woman who might be pregnant, and if the toad laid eggs it would prove this. The African clawed toad was also the first cloned vertebrate.

Answer: Midwife toad

The other three amphibians mentioned are all in the order Anura, suborder Archaeobatrachia, along with the midwife toad. The midwife toad is called this because the male toad wraps strands of spawn around his hind legs until they hatch.

Answer: Yellow-bellied toad

The other three toads mentioned are all real species in the genus Bombina. The yellow-bellied toad grows to a maximum length of 55mm, which is also the maximum length of the tadpole. The yellow-bellied toad lives throughout Europe, and was introduced to southern England around 1954.

Answer: Alpine newt

The other three newts are in the genus Notophthalmus, and are found in North America. The Alpine newt is a European species found in central and southern Europe, but in the UK colonies can be found from southern England right up to central Scotland.

Answer: Italian crested newt

All of the other newts mentioned are newts in the genus Triturus. The Italian crested newt has been found breeding in Surrey and Birmingham, and can hybridise with the great crested newt, which threatens the purity of the gene pool. Italian crested newts can grow up to 16cm long.

Answer: American bullfrog

The other three species mentioned are all real frogs in the genus Rana. The American bullfrog was once available in pet shops in the UK and was widely bought and kept, often as a curiosity because of the size of the tadpole and frog in comparison to native species.

Answer: European tree frog

The other three answers are all real frogs in the genus Hyla. The first recorded introduction took place in the 1840's on the Isle of Wight. Other introductions took place in the south of England, and a few breeding colonies resulted. However there is no record that the population of tree frogs that lived in the New Forest was introduced; in fact the tree frog was mentioned in a 1646 text that made no mention that tree frogs may have been brought there from Europe.

As of yet though, it still remains to be proved whether in fact these frogs were native.

Answer: Pool frog

Once again, all three of the incorrect answers are real frogs in the genus Rana. The history of the pool frog in the UK is messy. It was overlooked as a native species until the mid 90's, which coincided with the population becoming extinct. It was then reintroduced with stock from Sweden, and is now afforded complete legal protection, though the species is now threatened with inbreeding with the introduced southern race.

Answer: Marsh frog

The marsh frog is in the same genus as the pool frog. The other three frogs mentioned are fictional frogs, but the real frog, the marsh frog, is very interesting indeed. It is a large green frog that looks very similar to the pool frog mentioned earlier, and has the interesting habit of basking in the sun like a reptile, which is unusual behaviour for the generally easily desiccated amphibians.

Answer: Edible frog

The edible frog can only be found around populations of both marsh and pool frogs. Interestingly two edible frogs cannot produce viable offspring, as the young are usually malformed, instead an edible frog will breed with either a pool frog or a marsh frog. Contrary to what you may think, this will produce another edible frog.

For example, if a marsh frog mated with an edible frog, the pool frog genes from the edible frog would be passed onto the offspring, along with genes from the marsh frog, producing an edible frog. Because of this non-standard breeding behaviour the edible frog is given its own separate scientific name (Pelophylax kl. esculentus).