Frogs in pre-industrial Britain

This paper examines the pre-industrial historical record of Britain's anuran species. The records examined include especially the writings of naturalists and physicians, most notably Gerald of Wales (1188), John of Gaddesden (c. 1314), Edward Wotton (1552), Timothie Bright (1580), Thomas Brown (1646), Robert Lovell (1660), Christopher Merrett (1667), Robert Sibbald (1684) and John Morton (1712). The common frog is attested as present throughout the period. Several reliable historical records are located that describe the presence or absence of a water frog species (Peloyphylax spp.: two records of presence, two of absence) and the tree frog (Hyla arborea: five records of presence, three of absence). The moor frog (Rana arvalis) and agile frog (Rana dalmatina) are not described separately - if present in the time period, they may have been considered varieties of the common frog. The evidence of presence comes exclusively from England. The records taken together confirm the presence of populations of water frogs between (at least) the fifteenth and eighteenth century, and provide new evidence attesting to populations of tree frogs between the sixteenth century (when the species may have been introduced) and the eighteenth century (when the species seems to have become locally extinct/locally distributed).