Frogs in the Garden.
After another year of relative quiet, its the time of year again when the motorbike frogs (Litorea moorei) are revving up and going off!!
They are quiet for a while and then a noise such as a loud car, a helicopter or a truck coming up the street will set them off; they even start when the vacuum cleaner gets turned on, as though they are competing with the other noises for territory.
A number of awful frog screams during the year had me worried that rats
(courtesy of chickens next door) had killed or eaten most of our little
amphibious friends.
Now though, and especially at night, we think there may be eight or more of
them - it really is very hard to tell, as they can change colour and can hop a
long way in a short time.
The other night in the hallway, as I crept through the dark, I stepped on one.
I turned on the light thinking it was something awful a dog had left behind! It gave me a little fright when I saw a big green and brown frog
looking at me. He promptly turned around, took a few large hops in the
direction he came from and was back outside.
Somehow I doubt that one will come inside again. Luckily my quick
reactions (and slow movements) had stopped my full weight from squishing it, so
it could still hop in a straight line!
Our dogs protect the frogs from cats; we also provide them with habitat in the form of pvc or clay pipe, old boots and other things that they can hide in.
When the frogs first start croaking we make fake frog noises so the dogs never bother looking for them, thinking it's just us being silly humans again.
Frogs like dark, shady damp places to retreat to in the daytime. Bromeliads, ferns and other moisture loving shade plants are a good place to set up habitat for them as they get watered more often.
Baby baths and buckets have enough water for them to live and breed in too, so an elaborate pond set-up is not
totally necessary - the frogs don't seem to mind.
The only time Motorbike frogs need water is during breeding season, which is also croaking season. The
rest of the year they stay happy somewhere damp and shady.
Frogs are cheap and easy to keep, reducing flying insect problems as they catch their dinner.
They also give you a good excuse to go spying in the garden at night, the best time to collect pesky snails. (Note: the one useful thing rats do in a garden is to eat snails, so if you have ever found a pile of snail shells hidden away, it is likely that rats have been cleaning them up.)
If you decide you want to encourage or keep frogs in your garden it is quite
important that you not mess about with their habitat. They are fairly
adaptable, but they may leave if they constantly get bothered.
Even more importantly - if you do put in a pond - PLEASE DO NOT GO DIGGING AROUND IT!!!!!
A friend was labouring for someone who wanted their pond moved; he was digging around...and he cut a frog in half.
They make a blood-curdling shriek that is hard to forget). He still has nightmares to this day and refuses to use
metal implements around ponds!
Our landlord's father prides himself on clearing the area around Spearwood
of vegetation, the beginnings of the destruction of the many local
wetlands. Imagine his surprise when our frogs started croaking last year. He
was quite upset; thought he'd shut them up for good the first time. Maybe it
was some kind of froggy karma!
I imagine he wanted to clearfell our garden.
I would rather listen to a few weeks of croaking than most other noises in the city. Falling asleep to amphibious amplifications is certainly different. It makes for interesting dreams!
Healthy frogs are a sign of a healthy garden and they are natural pest control at its best - non-toxic, ozone layer safe and changes colour to suit the decor.
Happy habitat building.
Vicki.