I local ponder told me that his Green Frogs sometimes overwinter out of water, and recommended a mulch pile, if I thought that they might not find sufficient conditions for overwintering in my pond. My pond is 11' long, 5.5 wide, 9", 18", and 27" (minus 3" from each of these three sections, because of the addition of appox. 3" gravel and rocks). I don't think that frogs would be all that comfortable hibrinating without burrying themselves.

So, recently: I purchased some tropical, fine white play sand (shells inside) - this made my test bucket completely and enduringly clouded. Maybe, I can collect my own sand from a stream, so that it does'nt cloud. In a 600 gallon pond, if I introduced say 50 dried maple leaves in the fall, would this effect the water quality much - i may still run my pump-filter unit under the ice. Are there good alternatives. Maybe sand that doesn't cloud? Will they burrow under 3/8" stone pebbles - if they scratch themselves, the abrasions will promote infection. I'm pretty sure I can get river sand my self - but I would be concerned that the sedimentary sand would be comprised of rocks which alter Ph levels - if so, would 3" sand in a 4' x 3' area effect much?

Do you think aquatic frogs would likely find a place out of the pond to overwinter - i.e. a mulch pile near the water? I would think that they would not, and instead: that they would just deal with the stress of exposure and lack of insulation without a substrate inwhich to burry themselves.

Any green frog that overwinters out of water will die. Any green frog that overwinters in water that freezes solid into the frog will die. Any green frog that overwinters in a pond that freezes over at the top (but not the bottom) for more than a few days will die. I have found plenty of dead green frogs for those three examples (and never any survivors under those conditions). Overwintering undewater aquatic frogs need oxygen in the bottom of the pond. In my 1800 gallon pond, they just lay on the liner or pea gravel or under a few leaves. In my 153 gallon pond, they just lay in the bottom, and I pump down oxygen via a Luft pump. Before I put that air stone in, any frogs in the bottom died from lack of oxygen (this pond is deep but narrow and had a de-icer too). This information also holds for bullfrogs and pickerel frogs which also hibernate under the water. Tree frogs, wood frogs, leopard frogs, and others do hibernate OUT of the water, amongst leaves, bark, etc.

Have you read this section on my site all about overwintering frogs:
http://fishpondinfo.com/frog3.htm#help

The experts say that aquatic frogs that overwinter under water have to have dirt, sand, leaves, etc. to bury under. My 1800 gallon pond has pots with plants that have dirt and pea gravel as well as PVC pipes, pots, etc. I remove lots of leaves but always miss a few. The green frogs, pickerel frogs, and bullfrogs during the winter I often see just laying on top of the bare liner but sometimes under a leaf or two. They seem to have no desire to either bury themselves or remain hidden from view. This is again contrary to what I have read. This is how my frogs behave. In my 153 gallon pond which has the most frogs, they all just pile together in the bottom on top of each other. It's deep and narrow enough that you can't see down there (too dark) but I clean that pond in late winter and find them down there among about a bucket's worth of debris (leaves, dead earthworms, sludge). If you clean your pond in the spring and not fall, then there should be plenty of things down there to hide among but certainly don't let the pond get too filthy and remove most of the leaves.

Since sand is just going to make a mess, I wouldn't bother with it. Certainly don't add sand that would alter the water chemistry in a negative way for the inhabitants. Adding a handful of leaves is not going to do much harm to the pond and in fact will provide hiding places (and a little something to nibble for bugs) for a number of aquatic animals over winter.

Green frogs can't overwinter in mulch but it can be home to many terrestrial animals. I dug up some snake eggs in my mulch pile a few weeks ago.