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Ponds are fantastic environments for different types of creatures, and they are one of the best ways to attract varied wildlife to your garden. A pond ecosystem is fantastic for providing food and shelter to insects, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and even birds and animals.
Whether you have an ornamental pond, a fish pond, or a wildlife pond, your body of water is probably already home to certain types of animals. Here are four types of creatures you might find living in your pond.
Fish
One of the most obvious creatures you might find living in your pond is fish. It is highly unlikely to find new breeds appearing in your garden, but you can invest in many types of beautiful fish which will thrive in a pond.
Fish are often placed in ponds for ornamental purposes, and they can help you create a stunning water feature in your outdoor space. However, they are often too dominant for wildlife ponds and may end up devouring other creatures and pond plants.
If you wish to keep fish in your pond but you also want other wildlife there too, it is a good idea to build two different ponds. Oase Living Water is a leading aquatic equipment manufacturer, and their products are innovative and energy efficient. They can provide you with high-quality solutions for your garden pond needs.
Amphibians
One of the greatest joys of owning a wildlife pond is spotting amphibious creatures. Amphibians, such as frogs, toads, and newts, require food, water, shelter, and moisture in order to thrive. They are attracted to wildlife ponds that are built with sloped edges, and those that feature pond plants such as watercress and yellow flag iris.
If you are building a pond from scratch to specifically attract amphibians, include a deeper mid-section to reduce the likelihood of it freezing over in the colder months. This will keep dormant amphibians at the bottom of the pond safe in icy conditions.
If you can create the right habitat, you can enjoy watching frogs grow from spawn to adult in your garden.
Invertebrates
Invertebrates are creatures without a backbone, such as water snails, pond-skaters, worms, freshwater mussels, water beetles, and different types of larvae. As you can already imagine, these creatures can be very different from each other in terms of their size, shape, diet, and living environment.
Some invertebrates prefer super clean water, while some can inhabit murky ponds. In addition, some live on plants and algae, while others are carnivorous. Dragonflies are a type of flying invertebrate and they are very common around ponds. With luck you can witness them in your pond first in egg form before watching them transform into fully grown dragonflies.
Mammals
Although it is highly unlikely that you will find mammals living directly in your pond, you could find them visiting often.
Thirsty animals such as hedgehogs and foxes might swing by for a drink now and then, while bats, rats, and badgers might use your pond as hunting ground for prey. The lucky few could even spot deer at their pond, too.
