All species of amphibians found in Britain hibernate, their metabolism slowing as temperatures drop from mid-October. While some individuals will overwinter among the silt and submerged water plants at the bottom of ponds, most adults leave the water and seek out damp, sheltered places beneath rocks and logs, in leaf piles and compost heaps, or in the crevices in muddy banks at the water’s edge. As their body temperature falls and breathing and heart rate slow, they’ll become dormant, though a mild spell can cause them to stir from their slumber and briefly emerge above ground to forage, before re-entering a state of torpor.
Having witnessed the mass emergence of froglets at a local lake in early June, I was surprised to discover that my pond still contains chunky late-stage tadpoles, presumably laid late in the breeding season. A couple have developed stubby hindlimbs, with bulges showing where their forelimbs will form, but most remain legless. Dainty smooth newt larvae are also lurking in the blanket weed, the feathery gills sprouting from their heads and absent hindlimbs indicating that they’re nowhere near ready to survive on land.
