Creating a pond is an excellent way to attract wildlife to your garden. Once your water feature is established, it could eventually be home to some of the UK's most interesting species.
The Common Frog is a regular visitor to ponds up and down the country. It is a yellow-brown colour with dark spots and patches around its body, with orange-yellow coloured eyes located high up its face.
Pool frogs are also often spotted in ponds, although they may have been introduced to the UK from other countries. These have a greenish-brown back with a distinct yellow line running down the centre of their bodies.
Newts are another creature commonly found in British garden ponds. Also known as the smooth newt, the common newt is orange-brown with small, dark brown spots. Male common newts have long wavy crests running along the length of their bodies around April to May.
The great crested newt can often be found in ponds. It is a brown-black colour with black markings on its body, with an orange-brown belly. During spring, the male has a large, jagged-looking crest running the length of its body, which gives the animal its name.
Common toads are among the most widespread creatures to be found in areas of freshwater in the UK. They are regularly found in ponds, where they go to mate, between February and March. Usually olive-brown or green-brown, with a white or grey underbelly, the animals' bodies are covered in tiny, wart-like bumps.
The common water boatman is another creature that often makes its home in garden ponds, particularly in areas with a lot of water plants. Its long hind legs, which it uses for propulsion, resemble oars, giving it the name. When swimming upside-down, the insect carries water bubbles on its underside, giving it a silvery-white colour.
If you're lucky, you might be able to see some of these creatures in your pond. There are plenty of others though, such as snails, water scorpions and shrimps, which you could spot.
