Editing Common frog (section)

==Life cycle==
Clutch sizes of female common frogs range from a few hundred to 5,000 eggs. Many of these eggs form large aggregations that serve to thermoregulate and protect the developing embryo from potential predators. The aggregation of eggs raises the temperature of the embryo relative to the surrounding water, which is important because the rate of tadpole development is faster at higher temperatures.<ref name="Laugen-2003">{{cite journal |last1=Laugen |first1=A. T. |last2=Laurila |first2=A. |last3=Rasanen |first3=K. |last4=Merila |first4=J. |date=September 2003 |title=Latitudinal countergradient variation in the common frog (Rana temporaria) development rates – evidence for local adaptation |journal=Journal of Evolutionary Biology |volume=16 |issue=5 |pages=996–1005 |doi=10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00560.x |pmid=14635915 |s2cid=22444241 |ref=dev1|doi-access=free }}</ref> Additionally, the eggs are typically laid in the shallower regions of the pond to prevent hypoxia-induced fatality of the embryos.<ref name="Laugen-2003" />

It usually takes 2-3 weeks for the eggs to hatch. After that, the frog larvae group together in schools, where they help each other to feed on algae and larger plants, and to avoid predators.<ref name="Terhivuo-1988" /> By June and July, most tadpoles will have [[Metamorphosis|metamorphosized]], and the remaining time until winter is used to feed and grow larger.<ref name="Terhivuo-1988">{{cite journal |last1=Terhivuo |first1=Juhani |date=1988 |title=Phenology of spawning for the Common Frog (Rana temporaria L.) in Finland from 1846 to 1986 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/23734521 |journal=Annales Zoologici Fennici |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=165–175 |jstor=23734521 |issn=0003-455X |ref=dev2}}</ref> Only the largest frogs will survive the winter, which places a large emphasis on rapid development until then. In fact, a common frog's rate of development correlates with temperature. In lower temperature regions, common frogs will hatch earlier and metamorphosize sooner than common frogs living in warmer climate regions.<ref name="Terhivuo-1988" /> Sexual maturity occurs only after three years, and common frogs will typically live between six and eight years.<ref name="Laugen-2003" />[[File:Junger Grasfrosch (Rana temporaria) in Buchenlaub im Naturpark Pfälzerwald.jpg|thumb|Common frog camouflaged in autumn leaves.]]

===Development in the presence of predators===
The presence of a predator in the early development of the tadpole affects its metamorphic traits. For example, it can lead to a longer larval period and a smaller size and mass at metamorphosis.<ref name="Vodrážková-2022" /> Once the predator is removed, the growth rate of the tadpole returns to, or even exceeds, baseline. This influence of predator threat is only significant during early tadpole development.<ref name="Vodrážková-2022">{{cite journal |last1=Vodrážková |first1=M. |last2=Šetlíková |first2=I. |last3=Navrátil |first3=J. |last4=Berec |first4=M. |date=12 May 2022 |title=Different time patterns of the presence of red-eared slider influence the ontogeny dynamics of common frog tadpoles |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=7876 |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-11561-6 |pmid=35552438 |pmc=9098440 |bibcode=2022NatSR..12.7876V |s2cid=248759763 |ref=devpred}}</ref>

One of the common frog's most pervasive predators is the red-eared slider (''[[Red-eared slider|''Trachemys scripta elegans'']]''), which is a very invasive species of turtle.