Many people don’t realise that toad and frogspawn actually look different, and it is fairly easy to differentiate between them: frogs lay their eggs in a mass of jelly, and toads in a string.

For toads, there is an added layer of complexity. During mild spring evenings, often during or after rain, common toads migrate en masse from their hibernation sites to breeding ponds, ditches and lakes, sometimes travelling up to a kilometre. This phenomenon has become quite famous in recent years with ‘toad crossing’ volunteers manning roads where migration occurs - thank you to all the wildlife heroes out there providing safe passage for toads!

Toads are less common in gardens, as they can spend long periods of time away from water and often bury themselves in the soil to avoid the worst of the winter cold.

Nearer our garden ponds, frogs are the most likely amphibian to be encountered and can appear apparently from nowhere, colonising new watering holes as if by magic. If you have a pond in your garden or near your home, take a few moments to stop and peer into the depths - you may be surprised by what you see in this watery world.

If you don’t have your own pond, why not consider building one? If you have enough space for something large with a pond liner and time to dig, your garden wildlife will definitely appreciate it – but for those with smaller gardens or no soil, a washing up bowl sunk into the ground or a container pond is just as effective.

If you’re worried about the safety of having deep water in your garden, you could also build a bog garden – just as a fantastic for wildlife, and just as soggy!

Keep your pond healthy for local garden wildlife by avoiding using chemicals in your garden, making sure dead foliage doesn’t decompose in the water, and consider cleaning it out if it is very silted up.

For those not lucky enough to have their own pond, there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy a croaking chorus when out and about – as well as a few other exciting amphibians such as the dragon-like great-crested newt.

Several of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s reserves are home to a veritable wealth of frogs and toads, including Dearne Valley Country Park near Barnsley and Low Wood near Keighley. For those in search of the excitingly slippery world of newts, Stocksmoor Common near Wakefield is a haven for great crested, smooth and palmate newts – and Potteric Carr in Doncaster has a newt or two too!