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Peron's Tree Frog-
Litoria Peronii
Photograph - ©Derek Heward


Peron's Tree Frog
Litoria Peronii

Photograph - ©Derek Heward


Giant Barred Frog
Mixophyes Iteratus
Photograph - ©Vaughn Nash


Green Tree Frog
Litoria Caerulea
Photograph - ©Vaughn Nash


Redeye Green Tree Frog
Litoria Chloris
Photograph - ©Vaughn Nash


Tusked Frog
Adelotus Brevis
Photograph - © Suzie Pearce


Cane Toads
 

Cane Toads are a threat to frogs through competition for food and breeding sites and they also predate on tadpoles and small frogs.

 


Cane Toad
Bufo marinus
 

 Remove cane toads humanely

*  Remove cane toad eggs from ponds (long strands of black eggs unique to cane toads)

*  Plant local native sedges and reds around pond edges to discourage toads and as a habitat for frogs (toads don’t jump as high as frogs or cling onto vegetation)

*  Shading water bodies with local native shade trees helps maintain water temperatures that frogs prefer for breeding.

*  Ponds of less than 20 cm in depth are more suitable for frogs, as cane toads prefer deeper water bodies.


 From an article by Eva Ford
    in the Frogsheet-
 Qld Frog Society Newsletter

Winter 2006

 

 


                    THE LIFE CYCLE


Male frogs call in the breeding season to attract mates. The eggs of most species are usually laid in or near water and may be surrounded by either clear gel (tree frogs) or a frothy, floating foam (ground frogs). Hatching will take between 24 hours and several days depending on the species and temperature. It should be noted that there are many exceptions to these rules, but from a backyard pond point of view, most species conform.

Tadpoles eat mainly decaying plants, living algae and drowned insects. They gradually develop hindlegs, forelegs and lungs allowing them to leave the water and begin their growth to adulthood. At this point the tail is resorbed into the body. It does not “drop off” as many people believe.

The tadpole stage varies enormously from species to species and depends on temperature, food supply and competition from other tadpoles. Some species, such as the Ornate Burrowing Frog can go through the tadpole stage in as little as 15 or 16 days! Others, such as the Barred Frogs can take many months.

   A  Adult frogs mate..
   B  Eggs hatch
   C  Tadpoles grow
   D  Hind legs develop
   E  Front leg emerges
   F  Other front leg emerges
       Then the tail is absorbed,
       the lungs develop and 
       finally the frog leaves the
       water.


                 

                      Frog Friendly Gardens


Frogs need food, shelter and breeding opportunities.  A heavily vegetated backyard will provide more resources for a higher number of frogs than a lightly vegetated one.  Additionally, the greater the diversity of plants and sheltering sites is, the greater diversity of frogs will be.  High humidity helps, but this needs to be balanced with sound water use practice.  Collecting your own rainwater to top up ponds and maintain garden moisture levels, heavy mulching, and trickly irrigation will allow greater frog amenity without impacting on water conservation.  on the other hand, long dry spells will not have an adverse long term effect on your frog population.. When it's dry - they just stay hidden.
 

Setting up a pond

You will need:-

1. Plastic pond liner
2. Washed sand or gravel
3. Ledge for plants or rocks
4. Water depth to 20 cm
5. Rocks, logs
6. Native water plants

Above Ground Ponds:
Any clean non-metallic container can be used. Tadpoles prefer shallow water with a large surface area. Toddlers ‘clamshell’ wading pools are suitable.

Position:
Tadpoles are heat sensitive. A position which is predominantly in the shade is best. Frog choruses at night can be quite loud and can disturb some people. Talk to the neighbours before choosing the pond’s position.

Water:
Rainwater is best, but tap water can also be used quite safely if left to ‘cure’ a few days in sunlight before using to top up ponds or establish a new one.

WATER is No: 1 need to frogs.

PLEASE, be waterwise!


                      

What you can and can’t do to frogs

  There is a Nature Conservation Act and two Conservation Regulations that apply to frogs and they need to be read in conjunction with each other (over 700 pages )

 
The definition of wildlife
includes eggs, larvae or any part of any animal.

♦   It is prohibited to take any protected animal, with varyi ng classes of offences if they are
taken. The taking of any frog, egg or tadpole is illegal without a permit licence or other authority.

 There is however an exemption. The exemption applies onl y to frogs which are declared to be Common Wildlife.
If you do not have a licence (like most of us), you can take up to 8 frogs and up to a maximum of 2 species of any one species if they are declared common.

Tadpoles and eggs cannot be taken.

 
The problem is, there is no such Common Frog List! You therefore need to assume that if a species is not listed as Extinct, Endangered, Vulnerable or Rare, then it must be common.

  These exempt frogs can only be taken from the backyard that they are to be kept in!
(does that make sense??? It sounds to me,  that means you cannot transport them from your backyard).
So, what does this mean? It means we cannot have a display of live frogs at the Frog Festival unless someone has a permit.


If you would like to delve into this marvellous world of legislative legalise a little more, visit the Nature Conservation legislation at


             
      www.legislation.qld.gov.au.

 

Queensland Frog Society
www.qldfrogs.asn.au

 

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FAVOURITE THINGS FOR FROGS

1. Water—Unpolluted and abundant for living and breeding.

Frogs need a diversity of water body formations found naturally with creeks and wetlands. They are very sensitive to toxins and other pollutants.

2. Food—Lots of invertebrates (the essential element for most food chains)

Healthy unpolluted creeks, rivers and wetlands provide the greater diversity and abundance of invertebrates

3. Shelter—Moist microhabitats, vegetation, leaf litter, logs.

Natural places such as rainforest, streambanks, wetlands, and wallum are important habitat areas for frogs. If such places are removed or disturbed, frogs living there are likely to be lost.

Gardens can be made more frog-friendly where natural habitat has already been removed and this can be important for frog survival. Frogs need a diversity of vegetation types (preferable local native) and
sheltering sites (logs, leaf litter). Ponds for breeding and moist mulched areas are also important with water collected by rainwater tanks being ideal. Tadpoles prefer shallow water with a large surface area. Keeping smaller variety native fish
(e.g Pacific Blue Eyes) in ponds is helpful for mosquito control. Keep pets secure particularly at night.

4. Mates—Opposite sex of the same species preferred

5. Peace—Not to be moved, eaten, captured, tortured, diseased, out-competed or poisoned


Domestic animals and foxes are a direct threat to frogs.


It is important not to take frogs or tadpoles from the wild for pets, as disturbance is a serious threat to their existence.


Handling frogs or tadpoles can spread the chytrid fungal disease that is threatening whole populations of frog species
.
 

Sunshine Coast Queensland 
Pond Plants ~ to create  
habitat for frogs:

 

Bank / Edge
Native
Ginger
Alpinia caerulea
River
Lilly
Crinum pedunculatum
Lomandra Lomandra hystrix
longifolia
Other local species
Coastal
flax lilly
Dianella congesta
Other local species

Water edge / in water/Amphibian
Make sure local species are chosen
Check species, as some can be invasive

Phragmites diverse local species
Typha diverse local species
Cyperus diverse local species
Juncus diverse local species
Baumea articulata &
rubiginosa
Bolboschenus diverse local species

 

 

In Pond

Snowflake 
Lilly                   
Nymphoides indica    


This is only a list of some species,
more species may also be useful
Vaughn Nash
Maroochy Waterwatch
 

Native Fish for frog ponds


We highly recommend:-

Pacific blue eye - up to 30mm

Others to try:-

Firetail gudgeon - up to 65 mm

Crimson-spotted Rainbow - up to 120mm

The larger size fish over 30mm may eat tadpoles, so you may wish to separate them until tadpoles have reached a sufficient size
 

"White Cloud"
are not native fish
PLEASE AVOID THESE



Queensland Frog Society
www.qldfrogs.asn.au
 

 

 

 

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