FROLICKING frogs are taking over Surrey's ponds as the mating season hops into full swing.
A horde of more than 60 pairs of amorous amphibians have made themselves at home in a back garden pond in Elmwood Road, Redhill, over the last two weeks.
Michael Phillipson and his family have seen frogs breeding in their pond in the past, but were taken aback by the sheer number which descended this year.
"My wife, who is seriously ranidaphobic, [fear of frogs] is most unimpressed with their fecundity," Mr Phillipson said.
"I don't know why they come to us, whether they are just making their way to us or we have some special attraction for them."
Frogs, which are known to be "explosive breeders", often mate en masse, choosing a pond or spot with plenty of sun and moisture.
But even experts are surprised by the animals' passion for the Phillipsons' back garden.
Danial Winchester, amphibians officer for the Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group, said it is normal to see frogs in "double figures" at popular breeding spots, but to have more than 120 was a surprise.
He added: "The frogs lay a lot of eggs because they get eaten by predators; it is a survival strategy for them."
But Mr Winchester said the amphibians are actually a boon for the garden.
"They do a lot of good," he said. "The frogs keep a lot of pest species away from the garden, such as mosquitos. People shouldn't be worried about them; people can be nervous because the frogs jump, but they aren't toxic if a dog or child picks them up."
The randy creatures can be a problem for fish in a pond. Sometimes the frogs get confused in the heat of the moment.
Mr Winchester explained: "They will climb on anything including another species or the same sex. Among the frogs they usually have different calls to let others know when they get it wrong but fish do get caught up sometimes."
For Mr Phillipson and his family, the pond is becoming something of a "National Geographic in [their] back garden", with the frogs increasing in number every year.
But there are no fish in their pond thanks to the hunting of a local heron.
After finishing their mating, the fornicating frogs have moved on leaving the Phillipsons' pond full of frog spawn, which will hatch shortly.
And the news the frogs might keep coming back in increasing numbers is not likely to please Mr Phillipson's frog-fearing wife Michelle. "She will be thrilled", he laughed. "They appear every year but this is the biggest lot yet."
