Walkers warned as 'tiny dots' appear all over path at beauty spot

Hundreds of tiny frogs have been spotted hopping around a Welsh park. The unusual sight was seen at Gnoll Country Park in Neath on Tuesday morning. Local resident Beth Morgan-Parsons captured photos and video footage, which show the tiny creatures crossing over a path near the visitor centre. Beth said the amphibians are so small she didn’t notice them at first, warning other visitors to be mindful of where they step. Stay informed on everything Neath Port Talbot by signing up to our newsletter here The 43-year-old said: “I go there every morning and I think I walked past maybe twice, because I do circuits of that pond, before I noticed and wondered: ‘What’s that?’ “I could see something and went down to floor level and there they were, hundreds of them.” Beth said she spoke to a park caretaker who said he observed the same scene a day earlier on Monday. Beth said: “They’ve had frog spawn up there for the last month or so. Obviously they’ve gone and hatched. They’ve come out of the water and are going to dry ground. “They won’t go far from the water source. I remember them as a kid at the Gnoll but I’ve never seen them at that middle pond before.” Reaching out to other park users she said: “It’s one of those things when not everyone is on Facebook and they’re not going to see it. “The caretaker up there said they are making people aware up there but they are so small. I missed them on my first two rounds. They're about the size of a fingernail. It’s just a case of being wary where you step up there.” According to the Wildlife Trust young frogs start to explore away from the pond once they have fully formed from tadpoles. The organisation states: “Once the tadpole’s body has developed and formed lungs to allow them to breathe above water they begin exploring the land but stay close to their pond. “Their diet starts to include larger items such as flies, slugs, and snails. The transformation is now complete; our small tadpoles have become young froglets. “Frogs can take up to four years to develop to full maturity. An adult frog can reach up to 13cm in length and can vary in colour from green to brown and even red or yellow. It has smooth skin, a dark 'mask' behind the eye, and long back legs, covered in dark bands. “Frogs breed from between two and three years old. The males croak to attract the females and, when they are ready to breed, the life cycle restarts.” Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.