Who lives here?
Which animals do you think would live above the surface of a pond?
Click on them to see if you are right.
dragon Pond Snail frog mayfly kingfisher
Dragonfly Pond Snail Frog Mayfly Kingfisher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pond Snail

No

I am good at hanging on to the underside of the surface tension and at gliding over surfaces because I've a special muscular foot. I also have a unique mouth with a rasping "tongue" called a radula, that grazes algae. My shell hides me and protects me from predators and it also has space for an air bubble so I can breathe through my lungs. I have to watch out for fish, newts and birds though, as they would eat me for dinner!

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Frog
frog

No

I am an amphibian, so I live around the edge of the pond, jumping in and out of it. I lay my eggs (frogspawn) in the water and they hatch into tadpoles, which breathe through gills. They grow into frogs and breathe through their lungs (clever, eh? ). As a frog, I get my dinner from the surrounding land, and I just love slugs. I hate being cold, so in the winter I hibernate in the pond mud. See you next year …zzzzzzz

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Mayfly
mayfly

Yes

I have just emerged from the water I have turned into an adult. I moulted my final skin on the way and left it behind on a plant stem. I have only a few days to live. There is no time to eat, but just enough time to find a mate quickly so I can lay my eggs. The best place is either on the surface of the water or just underneath it on stones. Phew, just in time. Bye!

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Dragonfly

Yes

I have beautiful wings and am a brilliant flier. I love darting about above the water. The large eyes on the front of my head give me excellent sight to spot gnats and mosquitoes for dinner, and my powerful jaws with special hooks, catch and hold firm my prey so they can't escape!!!

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Kingfisher
kingfisher

Yes

I perch on overhanging branches and then dive into the water and use my long pointed beak to catch small fish for dinner. To hide from predators I fly low over the water which makes me difficult to see. My nest is a burrow in the bank of the river or lake and this is where I lay my eggs and raise my family.

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Habitat Conditions

  • Oxygen. The air is full of oxygen which is produced by all the plants and trees surrounding the pond. Creatures in this area breathe the oxygen.
  • Light. There is good amounts of light found here.
  • Shelter. There is little shelter above the pond.
  • Food. There is little food in this area, so the birds and insects have to hunt at the surface, margin or even dive in to the water to find food.
  • Predators. The few main predators include larger birds and dragonflies that catch their smaller prey while flying over the pond.
 

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