What Wildlife lives in UK Ponds?

A lot of my early wildlife memories come from staring into ponds like this, but for most people the creatures that live there remain a mystery. In today's video I'm going to show you some of the common and some of the rarer wildlife that lives in ponds. And where better to start than with one of the smallest pond inhabitants, Daphnia. These are also known as water fleas and spend most of their time jerking up and down suspended within the water column. Daphnia grow to a maximum of 5mm across and are filter feeders, eating algae and other microorganisms from the water around them. Being so small, Daphnia are preyed upon by most pond predators, including the next species. Some people say that fish don't have a place in wildlife ponds, but in almost every truly wild pond I have looked in there have been free spine sticklebacks. These grow to around 10cm long and feed on small aquatic creatures and unlucky insects that fall into the water. During most of the year, sticklebacks are social, but throughout the spring and summer, adult males develop bright red undersides and become very territorial. They build nests from vegetation held together with a secretion that they make in their kidneys, and it is the males who take care of their eggs until they hatch. Free spine sticklebacks get their name from the two or three spines that they have along their backs. These are usually held flat to their bodies, but can be held outwards to protect them from potential predators. But one predator, and a surprisingly frequent visitor to even the smallest of wildlife ponds, can swallow them anyway, the grey heron. These birds can grow to have a wingspan of up to 2m and to stand over a metre tall. They will often travel from larger bodies of water in search of food, and once they find a pond with fish or other suitable prey, they will return time and time again. Although they definitely don't need any magic to attract prey in small ponds, fishermen used to believe that grey herons produced a substance from their legs that lured fish in close enough for them to strike. Whilst herons fly to ponds to feed, other species come here to breed, including dragonflies. In the UK, there are 36 species of dragonfly, ranging from hawkers with wingspans of 12cm or more, down to darters, almost half their size. All of these species lay their eggs in or next to water, and all of their larvae, which are known as nymphs, develop there. This can take from 1 to 5 years, and when they are ready, they climb out of the water and go through a short metamorphosis into their adult forms. When they do this, they leave behind an empty layer of skin, known as an exuviae. Dragonfly nymphs are highly predatory, and catch their prey using an extendable hinged jaw, which can spring out quickly to grab and hold whatever they are trying to catch. This includes invertebrates, tadpoles, small fish, and larger nymphs will even tackle newts, including smooth newts. These are also known as common newts, and are the most common species in the UK. During the spring and summer, adults will usually be in and around ponds where they breed, but they can come onto land at any time, and will hibernate there during the winter. Both sexes grow to around 10cm long, and during the breeding season, males grow a crest along their backs and develop black spotted bright orange undersides. Because of this, males are sometimes confused with great crested newts, which are much larger, have spikes rather than rounded tips to their crests, and also have a gap between where their crests and their tails meet. Smooth newts are predators, and will eat aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, and the tadpoles of common toads and common frogs. And speaking of common frogs, when it comes to smaller ponds, the first amphibians to usually colonise them is the common frog. There are two native species of and several introduced ones, but the common frog is by far the most widespread and numerous. Like newts, adult frogs will often leave the water and spend some of the year on the land, although some, especially males, will overwinter underwater at the bottom of ponds. This helps them to be the first on the scene in the spring when they gather in shallow areas to spawn. Each female frog will only lay one clump of spawn per year, which may contain as many as 4,000 eggs. These hatch into tadpoles, and by the end of the summer, most of them will have changed into froglets and moved onto land. There are around 40 water snails in the UK, with the largest and one of the most recognisable ones being the great pond snail. These have yellowy brown shells that taper to a sharp point and can measure up to four centimetres long. Their bodies are darker brown and they have two pointed tentacles. Their eyes are at the bases of these rather than the tips. Like a lot of snails, great pond snails are hermaphrodites, although each time they mate, they will only play the part of either a male or female. They lay long strings of jelly-covered eggs stuck on aquatic plants and other underwater features, which hatch into miniature versions of their parents. But in some species that use ponds, the young look very different to adults, and that is definitely true for drone flies. The adults of these spend their time away from water and have evolved to mimic bees. When it comes to breeding, they lay their eggs in standing water, and this is where their larvae develop. These are known as rat-tailed maggots, and it's pretty easy to see why. When they're under the water, their tails act as snorkels, allowing them to breathe air from above the surface. Some other species take air with them under the water, and that's exactly what great diving beetles do. Adults of this species, which can grow up to six centimetres long, collect the of air under their windcases and use this to breathe with whilst they are under the water. Their larvae also look very different to their adults, but both are ferocious predators and will eat any small creatures that they can grab with their powerful jaws. I don't hold grudges, but one did bite me about 20 years ago when I was pond dipping, and I can confirm it hurt a lot. One pond visitor that hasn't bit me, so far, is the grass snake. These are the largest reptile in the UK, and can grow to more than four feet in length. Grass snakes are often found in and around ponds, as these are great sources of food for them. A lot of their diet is made up of frogs, toads, and newts, but they will also catch small fish, mammals, and birds. They're ambush hunters, and can stay under the water for more than an hour without surfacing to breathe. Hopefully, this video has helped to shed some light on some pond wildlife. Keep an eye out, as I'll be making another video like this for the wildlife that lives in our freshwater rivers. But that's all for today. If you enjoyed this video, then check out this one here, with the wildlife that lives our towns and cities. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.