Ask About Wildlife in Nottingham

Good question, and something I think a lot of people don’t feel confident in. They are pretty similar from a distance, but if you get a good look, you will see that frogs have longer legs – and so you will also often see them hopping, whereas toads can’t jump as well, and do more of a run. Frogs also have smoother skin than toads, who have bumpy warty skin. In the Nottingham City area, we are only likely to see common frogs (Rana temporaria) and common toads (Bufo bufo), and a fool-proof way of telling the difference, is by getting up really close and looking into the eyes... frogs have got round pupils, and toads have got horizontal slits as pupils. Also common frogs have a black spot behind their eyes. common toad © Sean Browne

Hi Jools, what a lovely thing to hear every night! The typical 'twit twoo' type noise is usually made by tawny owls (Strix aluco), and it is very likely it is this bird you that you are hearing - tawny owls are the kind of bird you find in this environment in Nottingham city. Often the noise you are hearing is actually a pair calling and replying to each other. You can read more about tawny owls in our dedicated factsheet on the urban wildlife pages. Tawny owl image © Darin Smith

Hi Ben, aren't bats great! Bats are actually mammals, not birds. They are more similar to a mouse or vole than birds. Bats are the only mammal that can fly though! There are lots of different types of bats. In the Nottingham City area, 8 species of bats have been recorded. The most common by far is the adorable pipistrelle bat (shown in the picture). You can find out all about bats by having a look at our factsheet on the Urban Wildlife pages. On spring or summer nights, just after it gets dark - look out of your window to see if bats are visiting your garden to hunt for insects! Pipistrelle bat image © David Dillon