We have talked about making your garden attractive to butterflies and native birds.

Lepidoptera are in trouble, numbers declining due to monoculture, AGW and clearing of wildflowers in agricultural areas. There is another group of critters in trouble and we can give refuge to some.

Frogs! Damming of streams, water pollution, AGW are causing frog populations to decline. Fortunately, ponds with native fish, various lacustrine plants like waterlilies are a lot of fun. Dig a hole for a pond, line it with butyl rubber sheers, put pots of plants on ledges created to suit different plants and stock with native fish and you are bound to get the desired amphibians moving in and if not, catch or buy some damn tadpoles and kickstart the “riddip riddip” population.

Maybe not put the pond under your bedroom window.



Will post some more specifics, best water conditions, types of frogs etc later.

Australian frogs

• some of the most unusual and interesting frogs

• Platypus frogs the most unusual, the females carry the fertilised eggs in their stomachs—production of digestive juices during this time ceases of course. This is the ONLY known frog to do this. Was the only known frog—both species of it are extinct. We really do have a vital role to play in conservation in our gardens and in return we get better, more dynamic gardens.

• The Marsupial frog along the NSW/Qld border is a tiny frog. The females lay their eggs on a moist patch of ground. The male guards this and when the tadpoles hatch they take shelter in the male’s “pouch” or rather pouches and stay their until they complete their metamorphosis into young frogs when they leave the “pouch” and hop away.

• Water Holding Frog can live in arid regions. It gives birth to young frogs, the tadpole stage eliminated.

•Tasmanian Tree Frog can cope with the nice cool (freaking cold!) Tasmanian winters. Others prefer milder, moister conditions.

There are other frogs but what I have described shows most corners of this wide brown land can support frogs, especially if we give a helping hand.

The water in our fish/frog ponds needs to have chlorine and heavy metals removed—your pond supply or aquarium place can advise. Have some permanent treated water under the shade of trees and frogs will come. Obviously, your dogs and/or cats need to be kept away until fish and frog populations are established.

Frogs eat insects, snails, spiders and other prey to eat. They are also prey.

The most vulnerable part of the frog lifecycle is as spawn and tadpoles. Ducks love to eat frog eggs. You need to provide hiding places where the frogs in your garden can safely spawn (it is a numbers game tho, lay 1000 eggs, hope 2-3 make it to froghood!) Hiding places like under floating leaves (waterlilies are good) or among reeds or in a crevice in rocks—you need to provide some spots!

Tadpoles are attacked by fish, even tiny ones, wading birds and longnecked tortoises etc. As I said, it is a numbers game. Spiders and waterbugs prey on tadpoles, butcher birds sit on semi-submerged logs (or whatever) and pick off tadpoles. Also dragonfly larvae (but I never saw dragonflies above my pond and their numbers have crashed.)

As with many other critters, overcrowding or insufficient food sees tadpoles become cannibalistic! Their food is algae, decaying vegetable matter and micro organisms—any established pond should have enough to feed tadpoles. If not or you want to be sure.

Well washed then boiled lettuce—the green parts only. Use the outer leaves of a lettuce. Boil the lettuce in a pan of water, not in a microwave, for 20 minutes. We want enough food, not so much it causes pollution nor insufficient that munching on  the tails of other tadpoles starts! Less is more here.

As the tadpoles metamorphose, losing their tails and developing legs they are also developing lungs and losing gills. At this stage a shallow ramp to allow the near-frogs to exit the water and use their new lungs is needed else they will drown. This is essential if you have your tadpoles in a glass tank or bucket etc while if they are in your fish pond you should already have some ramps/shallow areas (to allow butterflies to drink as well as for near–frogs, etc.

Next we will discuss the various frogs that might be found in your pond.