L’amour Frogs
Frogs are all around us. You may not always see them, but you do hear them. They are an important part of the food chain, they eat lots of insects and many creatures eat them.
However frog populations are declining from habitat loss and degradation, disease and climate change.
In Victoria there are 36 different species of frogs, of these 12 are found in the Goulburn catchment. So it is not that difficult to become familiar with the calls and behaviour of all our local frogs.
Frogs of the Goulburn Catchment: https://frogs.org.au/frogs/ofVic/Goulburn_and_Murray
FrogID is a national citizen science project that enables anyone to record and upload frog calls, along with time and location data, using the free app. By downloading the free FrogID app onto your smartphone, you can record and submit any frog calls you hear, which helps us to understand where different frog species are, and how they are doing.
Click here for information and to download the free app: Frog ID app.
Frogs are one of the planet’s most threatened groups of animals and are often an indicator of environmental health. Through the Frog ID app people across Australia have already begun to reveal the impact of drought and bushfires on frogs.
You usually do not have to venture too far to find frogs. Water bodies are of course the easiest places to hear frogs. Wherever there is a creek, stream, dam, pond or flooded area these are the best places to go especially after rain. Many frogs prefer still water in ephemeral areas as these don’t usually have the fish that prey on tadpoles and small frogs.
Frog Spawn (eggs)
Frogs tend to be nocturnal so the first few hours after dark is when they are easiest to hear but frogs will also call during the day. The calls you hear are male frogs calling to attract females.
Frogs can also be seen at night around the edges of wet areas. Without disturbing them, look carefully around the edges with a torch and look for their eye shine.
The Banjo Frog, or Pobblebonk (Limnodynastes dumerilii) is one frog that is often heard calling day and night. The male calls while he is floating in the open water and some will call from inside a yabby burrow to amplify the sound. After mating, the female lays a large white floating raft of over 500 eggs. When the tadpoles hatch, they are dark brown and can sometimes take up to 15 months to metamorphose into frogs, depending on the temperature.
When my son was a boy he loved this short animated video that features Banjo Frogs. He still loves frogs, who doesn’t love frogs?
Chris Cobern.
Focus On Fauna 