Property owners can help amphibians
Environment Agency advises against mowing near ponds for the next four weeks
In order to support amphibians, the City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency is asking owners of ponds and direct neighbours for their help. They are asked to avoid mowing between 15 June and 16 July on green areas within a distance of around 50 metres from the pond. The reason for this is the danger to amphibians from lawnmowers.
In the middle of June, the so-called "frog rain" can be observed suddenly and overnight. Within a few days, all the young animals migrate out of the water at once and initially stay close to the water in bushes and damp and shady spots in meadows. A danger lurks there, as lawnmowers can destroy entire broods. Due to the suction effect, the young animals, which are just 1.5 to a maximum of 3.5 cm long, are sucked into the taller grass unnoticed and involuntarily.
The Environmental Agency therefore asks that such "frog rain" incidents be reported to the Chemnitz Lower Nature Conservation Authority (Tel. 488-3602 or -3603).
Background:
Even after the spring migration, native amphibians are highly endangered. The adults (with the exception of newts and green frogs) leave the waters after mating and laying their eggs and migrate to their summer quarters. A remarkable process then takes place in the water within a few weeks: a larva hatches from the egg. A few days after the larvae hatch, the eyes and mouth form - from this point onwards, frogs are referred to as tadpoles. Up to this point, around two to three weeks have passed since the eggs were laid. In a further two to ten weeks, the animals will grow legs, develop lungs and finally
finally, apart from the newt species, the tail is utilised by its own body until it disappears completely. The metamorphosis from larva to frog, toad or newt is now complete and the young animals are fully developed and ready to breathe the air.
Anyone who would like to help amphibians migrate can already register as a volunteer with the Environment Agency for 2023. In spring 2022, around 24 volunteers, some with children, worked at seven different locations to regularly bring the amphibians safely to the water in the evening hours from the beginning of March to the end of April.