Do any trackers know what this jelly is?

[stekker]

This gelly is called "sterrenschot"in Holland.
This link shows you more pics.
http://www.google.nl/images?q=sterr...itle&resnum=2&ved=0CC4QsAQwAQ&biw=999&bih=530
Jeff Dann and Horsevad are right.

First picture is the remains of the reproductive organ from a female frog. Last picture could be intestines, or small parts of the reproductive organs before they swell up. They have most likely been eaten by a buzzard - they try to avoid eating the female reproductive organ, as the mucosal coating inside the reproductive organs swell up when mixed with water. The phenomenon is quite common; but dosent last quite long - the jelly-like apperance degrads quite fast.
Foxes also do this. We used to get it every year close to a pond which was packed with frogs. There were no birds of prey around, but plenty of foxes.

Theo

 

[Cyclingrelf]

The jelly certainly looks like frogspawn without any eggs in it, but the jelly I've seen is nowhere near a pond and was in fairly large quantities - more than I'd have expected from one frog...though I'm not sure how much it would swell up after being removed from the frog's body? We do have buzzards, foxes, squirrels, crows, jackdaws, ravens, magpies et c. - would they carry frogs away from where they caught them in order to eat them? Could they be carrying them up to the top of the field? It's several hundred metres from the nearest pond, and uphill.

 

[JonathanD]

The jelly certainly looks like frogspawn without any eggs in it, but the jelly I've seen is nowhere near a pond and was in fairly large quantities - more than I'd have expected from one frog...though I'm not sure how much it would swell up after being removed from the frog's body? We do have buzzards, foxes, squirrels, crows, jackdaws, ravens, magpies et c. - would they carry frogs away from where they caught them in order to eat them? Could they be carrying them up to the top of the field? It's several hundred metres from the nearest pond, and uphill.

It's certainly odd, maybe there are frogs around that area. You would expect to see more sign like skin, bones and more guts though.

 

[ex-member Raikey]

dont frogs move out of the low down frosty spots when its really cold?..

uphill makes sense if it was a low temp avoidance issue,...

 

[Geoff Dann]

It's certainly odd, maybe there are frogs around that area. You would expect to see more sign like skin, bones and more guts though.

When I was a child, I saw this next to the pond in my garden, which was full of frogs. I rarely saw any skin, bones or guts. As an adult, I identify fungi for a living, and I don't think this is a fungus. It may be a long way from the nearest pond, but I'm pretty certain this is the remains of frogs.

 

[Geoff Dann]

dont frogs move out of the low down frosty spots when its really cold?..

uphill makes sense if it was a low temp avoidance issue,...

Frogs hibernate, usually in the mud at the bottom of ponds.

 

[JonathanD]

When I was a child, I saw this next to the pond in my garden, which was full of frogs. I rarely saw any skin, bones or guts. As an adult, I identify fungi for a living, and I don't think this is a fungus. It may be a long way from the nearest pond, but I'm pretty certain this is the remains of frogs.

I've emailed this to one of the leading frog experts in the UK. If anyone will know, tis him.

 

[firecrest]

find a dead frog and mangle it maybe?
ive no idea meself

 

[Elines]

You could get some more views by posting it on i-spot:


http://www.ispot.org.uk/

 

[JonathanD]

I got a reply....

In my opinion it is undoubtedly the remains from the reproductive organs of the Common Frog (Rana temporaria). One frog can produce an amazing amount of this substance as it swells in contact with the dew on grasses, about equivalent to 2000 eggs. Common frogs are now coming into the first weeks of the mating season and the eggs are not fully developed. In later weeks it will be easily identifiable as the frog spawn we all know well......

So there you go. One frog can make all that mess.

 

[Elines]

Great - glad to see the (ispot) system works

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Wow - thanks all. Sounds like it's most likely frog jelly then, and one of our local predators is eating them.

 

[JonathanD]

Wow - thanks all. Sounds like it's most likely frog jelly then, and one of our local predators is eating them.

They do squirt it out as a decoy too (like Harrier jets shoot out flak to deter missiles), but the intestines certainly point towards a predator getting it at some point.

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

i've ran into somethink like that over here in oz but no idea mate sorry

 

[Broch]

i've ran into somethink like that over here in oz but no idea mate sorry

The size of the Cane Toads I saw up onthe East Coast it would be quite a mound of jelly

Broch

 

[SORLUCY]

see this post somewhere else;

I found this in a wood in Cornwall last year. I walk this wood on a twice daily basis pretty much every day of the year (yes I have dogs to exercise!). It appeared one morning on the moss covered side of a tree stump, clear sky overhead with nearest trees a foot or so away, on a slope: It started as large white maggot type forms, scattered over the side of the tree stump. The dogs were first attracted to it and there was a faint 'rotten' smell which led me initially to think there was a dead animal and that these were maggots - but they didn't move and obviously weren't 'alive' in that way. They stayed in this maggot type form for a few days with no discernable difference in form. The faint smell disappeared (and no dead animal to be found). The dogs lost interest but I checked out the 'maggots' each day. They changed into the jelly format now being discussed when it rained - they swelled up with the water: didn't reach full sixe for a couple of days, then just stayed in that form for a while before becoming very slimy and simpply being washed away.

 

[SORLUCY]

and this one, its definately frogs. Its funny to see some of the other suggestions ranging from deer sperm to government experiments... ha

I found a pile of this stuff behind my wheelie bin about 2 months ago. Didn't like the look of it, so prodded it with a stick, as you do, then pushed it off onto the nearby soil with the intention of burying it. Never got round to it and having just looked, it is still there. If you want some you only have to ask. Due to location definatly not stags, very very unlikely birds, possibiility of foxes, cats or badgers. Just like frog spawn without the black bits. No sign of any bits of vomited frog. I have a theory. It is damp round there and a few weeks before it appeared there was a big toad underneath when I took it out for emptying(no, I didn't squash it). Theory F:-Just like the plants and bees etc. the global warming and warm weather are playing havoc with mrs toads systems, so she thinks it is spring and loads up with eggs then when she realises its winter she cant hold onto the eggs and drops them, hence no black dots. Then it swells with water