Clarification on the purpose of our frog pond proposal

Following on from Vanessa's earlier post Share the love, we felt some clarification was needed as to what exactly the intended purpose of the frog pond was.
When we first came up with the idea of building a frog pond as our innovative solution to the cane toad problem, we had quite different ideas in mind as to what the purpose of the pond was to be. Through the course of our research investigations, our original intentions have since changed. Below is a clarification of the subsequent changes to our original proposal, and how our research has led us to change our intentions ase to how we use our frog pond.

Originally, our intention was to design and build our frog pond, obtain some tadpole eggs from a frog club in our native area, and start breeding native frog species in the pond, thereby increasing the population in the local area. Members of the community, having followed our suggestions and built frog ponds in their own backyards, would then be able to come to the school pond and collect tadpoles to then take back to their frog pond and breed their own frogs, thereby encouraging more into the environment. But this proposal did not really help stem the cane toad population in our local area, and might also upset the ecosystem by introducing large numbers of frogs into the area that were not previously there.

Following our investigations, we now instead propose that our building of a frog pond will encourage local native animals to the area that can breed of their own accord. This includes cane toads, who are attracted to the same sorts of environments as frogs.
Through the regular maintenance and observation of the pond and surrounding area, we will then be able to monitor for cane toads and their eggs, which we can then take the necessary steps to remove and destroy (the eggs, not the toads!). We feel that this "exclusion" method is the most logistical, sustainable and ethical solution to the cane toad problem in our local area.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like more information.

(image taken from http://mybackyard.info/backyardblog/?p=99)

Dinner anyone?

See the National Geographic Kids website link for details and more pics

Not all countries have the same toad issues. Because the toad is not an indigenous species in Australia, we are facing some very serious environmental and ecological concerns in protecting our indigenous habitats and species.

But in other countries, particularly on the African continent, frogs and toads are so integral to the human diet that native species are now becoming threatened.

The National Geographic Kids website has a great article about this issue: Fried or dried, frogs are popular food in African markets.
Take a look and see if your appetite is whet.

Can you draw your own picture of what a cane toad looks like?

Ben's neighbour Abby, who is 9, drew him this nice little picture, showing a toad in her back garden.
Can you draw your own picture of what a cane toad looks like?

Making a frog pond model!

We had a great day on Saturday, making a model frog pond! As with all research and learning of new skills, it took us a fair few hours - 6 would you believe - to work through all the techniques and materials in order to make a model of a pond which would suit Ben's mum's back yard. We had the specifications, and the lay of the land, we just needed to represent what we had been researching and imagining.

And here is the result!

In keeping with our sustainability concept, all the materials used for this model came from secondhand shops, our collective hoard of art supplies that were waiting for a good use, and what we could find around Vanessa's yard. We are really happy with results.

• How would you make a model of a frog pond? 
• What other features would you include?

Frogs and Toads in Aboriginal culture

How important are frogs to Indigenous Australian culture, and how are they depicted in their artwork?

The two images here are by Indigenous artist Malcolm Maloney Jagammara, both entitled ""Frog Dreaming (Purda Punta)"

Jagamarra's art evolved from his tribe’s ceremonies. Aboriginal paintings were originally daubed on the ground and on the bodies of the people and were therefore not preserved. Since 1971 they have been preserved in the form of acrylic paint on canvas.

"It has given everyone a chance to learn about Aboriginal Dreamings", says Jagamarra. "Our art reflects not just the land but its mythology, song and dance". The symbols are called "iconography" and are the oldest in the world.

These 2 paintings depict iconography referring to the Frog (Purda Punta) Dreaming. This Dreaming evolves from the Lander River, 200 miles north-west of Alice Springs. The Frog (Purda Punta) buries itself underground in the Lander river system and surfaces only, when the river floods (can be up to seven years).

See more about Jagamaraa on this youtube video

(information sourced from http://www.authaboriginalart.com.au/Artist.asp?Artist=Malcolm%20Jagamarra; http://www.aboriginalartstore.com.au/aboriginal-art/malcolm-maloney-jagamarra/frog-dreaming-purda-punta/index.php; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sgtYmuChO4)

The frog pond begins...

...and so the pond designing process begins. Based on site suitability (Annie lives in an apartment, Vanessa lives in a rental property), we have chosen Ben's backyard for our frog pond.
We've mapped it all out (see image at left) and decided upon a nice little section in the back far-left corner of the property as the location of our frog pond.
This area meets all the requirements as posted earlier under "notes on frog pond design": it is a nice shady area that also receives a little sunlight; it's locatred right beside a mulched garden bed / compost heap, so will attract plenty of insects (this area of the yard is absolutely RAMPANT with mosquitos during the wet seasons); and it will be easy to make it shallow with a large surface area.
See below for images of the site.

Share the Love!

We have discovered that killing toads is not the best solution: not ethically, sustainably or logistically. It seems that Australia will never be free from the cane toad, there are just too many to deal with already. So what can we do?

One thing is for certain - the Australian nation needs to actively limit the spread of the cane toad. Exclusion methods, such as fencing, seem to be one of the best ways to do this.

We need to promote better biodiversity in our environments, particularly urban landscapes. To do this we suggest that the building of frog ponds will not only support native local frog populations, but will attract bugs, butterflies and other insects and birds as well. This would be a pleasing addition to any yard or park.

For a more biodiverse future, communities and the general public need to be aware of, and educated on, their native frog species so that there is no confusion between identifying frogs or toads. How can you help?

Take a look at our other posts, and if you find that we need to add any further information, or if you have any feedback, please feel free to leave a comment.

Habits and Habitats

Habitats and Behaviours

Hi again!

We were going to conduct an audit in Benny’s backyard to see how many toads and frogs currently inhabit it, but unfortunately, our research has informed us that most toads and frogs are quite inactive in winter. Instead, we have done some internet research about the habitat requirements and behaviour patterns of frogs and toads.

Cane toads:

• Prefer open clearings in urban environments, grassland and woodland
• Do not have specific breeding requirements – they just need a body of fresh water (or even up to 15% salinity) of almost any nature
• Tend to prefer pools of water that have shallow, muddy slopes without too much vegetation
• Enjoy well-manicured lawns
• Are mostly active in the evenings in warm months of the year
• During the day, like to keep cool under rocks and in hollow logs

We did a bit of general research about native frogs, and some more specific about two breeds that are known to inhabit the Brisbane area:

• Green tree frogs are typically found in the canopy of trees near a still-water source. However, they can survive in swamps (among the reeds) or in grasslands in cooler climates.
• The Striped Burrowing Frog (C. alboguttata) lives in woodlands, grassy and cleared areas. It is usually only seen around temporary pools and water-filled claypans. The species is active by day and night
• Different species of native frogs have different habitat requirements. For example, some tree-dwelling frogs shelter on the underside of leaves while others burrow into sand or hide under rocks
• There are several breeds of native plants that would be suited to a habitat of native frogs, for example, swamp lily, marsh flower and water snowflake would be suitable to plant in ponds, while native ginger, bird’s nest fern and mat rushes would suit the sides of the pond

Sources:

Moreton Bay Regional Council

http://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/uploadedFiles/moretonbay/environment/fauna/Frogs.pdf

Australian Museum

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Green-Tree-Frog

Frogs Australia Network

http://www.frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=117

Toads have in-built Earthquake Warning system

...And another really interesting document from the Australian Geographic website, http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/, from March 31st, 2010.

TOADS ARE CAPABLE OF detecting an impending earthquake several days before the first tremors strike, and alter their behaviour accordingly, a new study suggests.

"Our study is one of the first to document animal behaviour before, during and after an earthquake," says Rachel Grant, lead author of the study at the Open University in England. "Our findings suggest that toads are able to detect pre-seismic cues such as the release of gases and charged particles, and use these as a form of earthquake early warning system."
Though anecdotal reports and previous studies of ants, rats and birds have shown animals altering behaviour in advance of an earthquake, this is usually just hours before the event and near to the epicentre. The toads in this study were shown to react, even though they were many tens of kilometres away.

Dramatic change
To make the discovery, Rachel led researchers who studied a population of common toads at a breeding site located 74 km from the epicentre of the major earthquake that struck L'Aquila, Italy, in April 2009. Comparing data collected before, during and after the event, they found that the toads displayed a dramatic change in behaviour five days before the earthquake.
According to the study, published this week in the Journal of Zoology, the amphibians abandoned spawning and left breeding sites, not resuming normal behaviour until several days after the event.
The change in behaviour coincided with disruptions in the uppermost electromagnetic layer of the Earth's atmosphere, say the authors - thought to be caused by the release of radon gas or gravity waves prior to the earthquake. The researchers speculate that the toads sensed and responded to these early warning signs of the coming quake.

Escape strategy
Rachel and her co-workers argue that since toads move slowly there is evolutionary pressure for them to develop an effective early escape response strategy.
Biologist and toad expert Rick Shine, at the University of Sydney, says that the finding has intriguing implications.
"I don't doubt that many kinds of wild animals have ways of detecting things that science has yet to unravel," he told Australian Geographic. "It certainly sounds as if the Italian toads are better at forecasting an earthquake than we are, and it would be fascinating to learn more about the subtle cues that apparently enable them to do so."

(source: http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/toads-have-inbuilt-earthquake-early-warning-system.htm)

This is a photo of a 'frog flood' that occurred 2 days prior to the devastating earthquake in the Sichuan province of China, May 2008. The officials wrote it off as normal behaviour, but we know better.

Cane Toads found in Western Australia

I just stumbled across this article on the Australian Geographic website, from the 21st July.

Below is what they had to say:
Image left: Hundreds of cane toads are brought in by locals to the second annual Toad Day Out collection event in Cairns in March 2010

WEST AUSTRALIANS ARE URGED to keep a look-out for rogue cane toads after one of the pests was found to have hitched a ride across the border, ending up in Broome this week.

A Broome resident discovered the cane toad on Monday morning in a shed in a light industrial area of the Kimberley town and alerted the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).
District Nature Conservation co-ordinator Sharon Ferguson says it appears the Queensland pest had been accidentally transported across the WA and Northern Territory border.
"It's possible that the toad may have hitched a ride by hiding in road freight, a caravan or another vehicle," Sharon says. "There are vehicle checks in place at the WA-NT border, but the toads are not always easily found as they are very good at hiding in small spaces."

Crafty stowaways
Professor Rick Shine from the University of Sydney agrees this is a possibility. "It's true that toads are very adept at stowing away, and I think it's inevitable that toads will be turning up all over Australia," he says.
"The big challenge is to find the populations and exterminate them before they can breed," Rick told Australian Geographic. "They are very resilient creatures; capable of surviving in areas I thought would be way too dry - Longreach and Windorah in Central Queensland for example."
Sharon says that people travelling across the WA border need to be vigilant in checking vehicles and equipment to make sure cane toads are not brought into the state.
"As cane toads continue to advance further west into WA, the chances of cane toads hitching lifts on vehicles or freight are likely to increase," she says.
Cane toads are currently found about 35 km west of the WA and NT border, and DEC said they are continuing to work with community groups and local residents to slow the advance of the invasive amphibians.

(from http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/cane-toads-found-on-wa-coast.htm)

Who's Eating Who?

This week we have been conducting some research around what cane toads eat in a suburban Brisbane environment. It turns out that they can eat almost anything that fits into their mouths. No wonder they are so successful at adapting to the Australian environment. We have organised the information that we have found into a partial food web, just showing the predators and prey of the cane toad.

We then did some investigating into the predators and prey of the green tree frog, or Litoria caerulea, to see how much competition is between them. It looks like they have very similar dietary requirements.

Now we have to think about how we can use this information to inform our habitat design.

Information Sources:
Australian Museum - Cane Toads
Queensland Government – Cane Toads Information

Australian Museum

The Cycles of Life

One of the issues that we need to research is how native frogs and toads differ at points throughout the life cycle, as identifying the differences between frogs and toads is crucial for creating a native frog friendly habitat. There are lots of different native frog species and they are all slightly different. One important tip that we learnt is that cane toadpoles are always black, while native tadpoles are never purely black. Annie practiced some observational drawing as she was learning about the differences between the cane toad and the green tree frog. What differences can you see?

Cane toad life cycle

Green tree frog life cycle

Frogger - Why did the cane toad cross the road?

Remember the old computer game "Frogger"? Released in 1981 by Konami and nowadays regarded as a classic, the object of the game was to try and get frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog had to try and avoid cars while crossing a busy road, and then navigating a river full of hazards.

Think about how many cane toads you see squashed on the road. What time of year do you tend to see them the most? Is it a wet season or a dry season, a warm season or a cold one?
Why do you think they are on the road - are they trying to get to the other side, or are they trying to warm their bodies up on the bitumen that's been heating up in the sun all day?

Predators

There are very few predators of the cane toad in Australia, hence their prolific growth in numbers and spread across the country.
There have been some instances of animals biting back, as it were...

Snake attempting to devour a toad

A freshwater crocodile giving it a go...

A king brown snake not knowing what's good for it...

A quoll finishing off its toad meal...

But just when you think there is some hope, one of the best predators of the toad is the Keelback snake, and it seems this toad wants revenge...

Cane toad making a meal of a Keelback snake!

Can you identify the parts of a frog?

In order to classify frogs and toads, we must refer to certain external features or characteristics. Many of these are the same for both frogs and toads.
Can you identify the following parts on the frog picture to the left?








I've made it a little easier and already identified them for you.
1. cranial crests
2. parotid gland
3. tarsus (shank)
4. dorsolateral folds
5. femoral area (thigh)
6. toes with digital discs
7. toes without digital discs
8. tympanum

The cane toad in Australia

The cane toad (bufo marinus) was introduced to Australia by the Australian Bureau of Sugar in 1963 in reaction to the drastic effects of the cane beetle to the Queensland sugarcane industry. Due to its overseas success, a box of about 100 toads was delivered to the farm 'Meringa' at Gordonvale in Queensland, where they were bred in captivity with the intention of destroying the cane beetle population. Breeding easily, about 3000 were released in sugarcane plantations in northern Queensland within the year. However, the results were limited, with toads not being able to jump very high and cane beetles simply moving higher up the sugarcane stalks. The research and release of the toad ceased, and because so few were released, scientists and farmers at the time believed they were of no threat or concern, and so did not collect them back up or destroy them.

These original toads have now increased to what is estimated at a population of millions. With a tougher skin, less need for water, and being more adaptable than Australian frogs, toads have spread throughout Queensland, crossing the border into New South Wales and the Northern Territory. There has also been sightings of toads in such distant locations as South Australia and Victoria!

• Each pair of cane toads can lay between 8,000 and 35,000 eggs per spawning
• 'Toadpoles' develop faster than many Australian frogs so they can out-compete frogs for food and habitat
• Toads can be resistant to some chemicals which would normally kill frogs
• Toads have no natural predators, and being toxic they are able to multiply with little threat or hinderance
• Toads compete with frogs for the same food supply, and are also know to eat frogs 

The spread of cane toads in Australia

http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2008/05/cane-toads-advance.html

Since the introduction of the cane toad to Australia in 1935, it has spread and colonised a vast area, crossing state borders via land and water. Being an adaptable species, it seems that temperature, food, and environmental differences have not stood in their way.

The cane toad has been listed as a Key Threatening Process under the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. With research and audits being undertaken since this time, it has been reported that the "estimated rates of [cane toad] expansion vary from between 1–5 km per year in northern New South Wales to approximately 30 km per year in north western Queensland, and over 30 km per year in Kakadu National Park."

In 2009 the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts approved a ‘Threat Abatement Plan’, which will develop a nationally consistent approach in coordinating cane toad management and research to protect Australia's biodiversity and natural assets.

See: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ktp/cane-toads.html

The future of the cane toad in Australia is hard to predict. There is no doubt that the spread across the north of Australia is unavoidable, no matter how many tactics are tried and tested. It seems that the best action is to limit their movements by methods such as exclusion fencing, and ensuring that they are contained. But this is a massive job, and it is likely to take years and a lot of money before we see any drastic evidence of success. See our other posts about population control.

Ethics of killing toads

There is much debate about the best way to rid our communities of toads. In some towns there are large-scale toad musters, whilst other areas prefer exclusion fencing and auditing. There are many perspectives throughout society, in the media, the papers, and on the web. What must always be considered is the ethics we use to value toads and how this helps us to decide on removal or elimination. Ethics is our system of moral principles: simply, it is what, and how, we judge appropriate behaviours and actions in our culture and society.

We now know what scientists didn’t know in 1935: that cane toads would love Australia and spread over the country in an unprecedented fashion. It is not fair to blame the toad - it is just an animal that was plucked out of its home (and ecosystem) in Hawaii, and introduced to a foreign land to assist farmers.

Just because you think something may look ugly and have a bad reputation is no reason to treat it inhumanely and cause suffering. There has been some shocking and upsetting accounts of people using cricket bats and sticks, chemicals, salt, and the like to harm and kill toads. Ask yourself these questions:

• Could you hurt a cute green frog in the same manner? 
• If your friends think an animal is not very attractive, or is noisy and bothersome, do they have the right to harm it? Would you join in?
• When is it OK to kill an animal?
• Do you think that 'culling' - or legal mass killing - is a good solution to controlling pest animal populations?

The creators of this blog do not condone the killing of toadpoles or cane toads. We believe the most humane way to eliminate toads is to deal with them at egg stage. This is an extremely easy process, you just need to know what you are looking for, and be sure that the eggs are not those of an indigenous species. Some simple researching and keen observation will allow you to identify toad eggs, remove them from the water, and dispose by burying or composting them, or leaving them in the sun to dry out. Start your research by looking at our 'Identification' posts.

Kill or Cultivate?

Image care of kimberleypage.com.au

There has been much debate over the years of the best way to control our cane toad population. The Australian Government has in the past attempted to address such issues by creating toad viruses for example, but such measures threatened to cross the species barrier, and became an issue for the limited but indigenous predators of the toad.

There has also been much debate whether it is even at all possible to rid Australia of toads. Since their introduction, in some cases toads have now become part of the ecosystem and their complete removal would again imbalance insect and bug levels.

There is wide belief and opinion that the best approach is to act sustainably and promote a more diverse ecosystem. Particularly in urban areas, toads have adapted extremely well, happily living in backyards, crossing roads, and even eating dog or cat food. Unfortunately Australia’s native frog species aren’t so.

By attempting to create frog friendly environment in your backyard or school for example, you are encouraging native insects and frogs to make a new home. The toads might not want to move out, but by creating something as easy as a frog pond, native frogs will have a habitat that encourages breeding.

We need to cultivate biodiversity, not kill animals on a large scale!

Exclusion methods are also believed to help in reducing the migration of cane toads. To exclude toads, an inexpensive product such as shade cloth can be attached to existing fencing, or new smaller fences created to protect particular areas such as pools, pet areas and children's play areas.

Image care of Stop the Toad Organisation

There are multiple organisations across Australia that are centred on toad issues. As an example, take a look at the Western Australian organisation ‘Stop the Toad’ and their website: stopthetoad.org.au

This has useful information on cane toads, national eradication programs, petitions, funding and support, and links to other toad action sites. Of particular interest is their information sheet 'Cane Toad Proof Your Backyard' on how to exclude toads from your property, see http://www.stopthetoad.org.au/publications/toad_proof_your_property.pdf

Identifying cane toads

Did you know?: The cane toad has been nominated by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders.

There are NO NATIVE TOADS IN AUSTRALIA. True toads (Bufonidae) occur naturally on all continents except Australia. However, some native Australian frogs have been given names such as Holy Cross Toad and Red-crowned Toadlet because of their similarity to toads (they have short legs, thickset bodies and move in short hops).
So how do we identify a cane toad? Adult cane toads are heavily built, with rough, extremely warty skin (especially on the back and legs) and are typically 10-15 cm long. They are heavily built and the skin on top is rough, dry and covered in warts. The colour can vary from grey, olive, yellow brown to red brown, but they are never brightly coloured. Their underparts are lighter in colour and are usually a mottled brown. Their heads are bony with a pointed snout and over their eyes are distinctive ridges which meet above the nose. Behind and slightly below each eye is a distinctive circular ear drum. On top of each shoulder is a large sack – this is the toxin-producing parotoid gland. Cane Toads have slightly webbed, leathery hind feet while the front feet have no webbing and are relatively small in size. Cane Toads have a particularly upright stance and they walk or move small distances in short, rapid hops, unlike many native species which leap. Male toads are smaller and have more warts than females. When it is the breeding season males will develop ‘nuptial pads’, which look like dark lumps, on their first two fingers. These assist the male with holding onto the female while mating.

Adult Cane Toads are both nocturnal and visual hunters. They need a lot of food to survive so they often congregate in open areas, such as on roads or lawns, where they can spot their next meal. They prefer places that are well lit, such as below street lamps or around houses, because this is where insects are attracted in the evenings. They are poor climbers and are unable to jump very high. Unlike some of our native species they cannot climb up smooth surfaces. Cane Toads are a terrestrial animal, however they do need daily access to water. This means the toad is most vulnerable during the dry season as they need to stay close to water as the environment begins to dry up.
The male Cane Toad has a distinctive call which has been described by some as sounding like a motor running, a high-pitched broken brrrrrr sound, similar to a telephone dial tone or a long loud purring trill.

Note the lack of webbing between the toes and the absence of suckers. Both characteristics of the native frog species.

Note the toxin glands, the ear between the glands and the eye and the’ bony’ ridge above the eye.

(Images and text adapted from http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/animals/canetoads/identification.html, http://www.canetoads.com.au/Training%20and%20Safety%20Manual.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad)

Uses of the cane toad

Attempts have been made to make use of dead cane toads, which can number in the thousands and cause hygiene problems. This includes processing the carcasses into liquid fertilisers.
Bufotenine toxin produced by Bufo marinus is used as an aphrodisiac and hair-restorer in Japan.
In mainland China it is used to lower the heart rate of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.
The toxin is used by South American Indians on hunting arrows. The toxin is sometimes used as a narcotic by some tribes.
Cane toads were used for pregnancy testing in humans. A woman's urine was injected subcutaneously into the lymph glands of a male toad, resulting in spermatazoa becoming present in the toad's urine if the woman was pregnant.
Their skin can also be made into leather, which has spawned a humourous range of novelty toad goods (left).

Here are some more examples of cane toad leather...

Cane toad leather caps

NSW artist Linelle Stepto uses cane toad leather in her art

(Adapted from the Global Invasive Species Database; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad; http://toadfactory.com/)

Identifying cane toad eggs/toadlets

What to do with cane toads near your frog pond

• Cane toads are a risk to mature frogs and their tadpoles
• Remove cane toad eggs from your frog pond, or they will poison the water in your frog pond and the ‘toadpoles’ will eat your ‘tadpoles’
• It’s easy to identify toad eggs, they are the only ones laid in long clear strands like spagetti. The eggs look like a row of little black dots. Destroy the cane toad eggs by taking them out of the water and leaving them to dry

This is what cane toad eggs look like. Make sure to take them out of your frog pond if you see them! They are really easy to pick up in your hands

• Toad tadpoles tend to be smaller than frog tadpoles and are usually found in dense swarms. Toadpoles are pure black, native frog tadpoles have light-coloured undersides.

Example of toadpoles.

• Whether or not you have a frog pond, it’s a good idea to collect adult cane toads at night and freeze them in a plastic bag. Beware the poison glands on their backs. Another humane method for killing cane toads (there is no reason to be cruel — they didn’t ask to come here) is to squirt them with Dettol or Toadex — but not salt.
• The bodies of the dead cane toads can be composted.

notes on frog pond design

Get Burke's Backyard's fact sheet for this beauty!

Burke's Backyard has a great fact sheet on how to make your own frog pond (picture above). Check it out here,

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Pets-Pet-Care-and-Native-Animals/Building-a-Frog-Pond/3090

• Pond needs to be above ground level to prevent cane toads from breeding in it
• The hole should slope gradually from the edge of the pond to an average depth of about 30cm, suitable for small aquatic animals.Tadpoles prefer shallow water with a large surface area
• Tadpoles are sensitive to heat, so pond needs to be positioned where it will get some shade
• Water must be chlorine-free and chemical-free. Stand tap water in sunlight for five days so chlorine can dissipate. Don’t use chlorine-neutralizing drops
• Native water plants such as nardoo or reeds provide shelter, rest areas and food for tadpoles and adult frogs. They also help to balance the ecosystem, and keep the water clean. Take a little time to research the most suitable plants. Different plants are indigenous (locally native) to different areas and attract different frogs.For example, the Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) loves Creeping Boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium).
• Mulched garden beds and a compost heap will attract insects, which will be food for your frogs
• Blue Eye Fish (Pseudmugil signifer) from south-east Queensland eat mosquito larvae, but not tadpoles. Keep three or four of these fish in your frog pond and feed them once a week with fish food to supplement their diet
• Once the tadpoles develop front legs, they need to be able to leave the water.
• Ground dwelling frogs particularly need a rough slope they can climb easily, or they may drown. Provide rocks or branches sloping gently from the water to the banks of the frog pond

Feeding tadpoles

• Feed tadpoles boiled lettuce. Use the unwanted outer dark green leaves. Make sure to wash the leaves thoroughly to remove pesticides, then boil them (15-20 minutes) until they become soft.
• Feed tadpoles as much as they will eat every 1-3 days.
• Remove leftover food from the frog pond before re-feeding the tadpoles. Too much food fouls the water; not enough food and the tadpoles will eat each other !
• Fish food is a good supplement for mature tadpoles

(Information adapted from http://www.wettropics.gov.au/; http://www.up2meforkids.com.au/extras/downloads/223.Backyards%20Give%20a%20Frog%20a%20Home.pdf; http://www.ozwatergardens.com.au/frog-ponds)

Representations of Toads and Frogs in popular culture

Poor old toads get such a bad wrap. Think of depictions of toads in society, literature, old wives tales. Have you ever seen a toad play "the good guy"?

Some examples of this are:

• Mr Toad from Kenneth Graeme's "The Wind in the Willows". The book tells the story of 4 anthropomorphic characters, one of which is a Toad, the wealthiest character and owner of Toad Hall. Although good-natured, Toad is impulsive and conceited, eventually imprisoned for theft, dangerous driving and impertinence to the rural police. He is prone to obsessions and crazes, such as punting, houseboating, and horse-drawn caravans, each of which in turn he becomes bored with and drops. Several chapters of the book chronicle his escape from prison, disguised as a washer-woman.
• Tiddalik the frog, a legend from the dreamtime mythology of Indigenous Australians. In the legend, Tiddalik awoke one morning with an unquenchable thirst, and began to drink until all the fresh water was greedily consumed. Creatures and plant life everywhere began to die due to lack of moisture. Other animals conspired against Tiddalik, and devised a plan for him to release all of the water he had consumed. This was successfully coordinated by a wise old Wombat, when Nabunum the eel made Tiddalik laugh when he tied himself in comical shapes. As Tiddalik laughed, the water rushed out of him to replenish the lakes, swamps and rivers. The legend of Tiddalik is not only an important story of the Dreamtime, but has been the subject of popular modern children's books. In some Aboriginal cultures, Tiddalik is known as "Molok". (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiddalik)
• The use of the cane toad as a mascot for the Queensland State of Origin rugby league team. http://www.more.nsw.gov.au/news/state-origin-stop-march-cane-toad
• In an episode of "The Simpsons", entitled Bart Vs Australia, the invasive nature of the cane toad is referenced when Bart releases his pet frog into the wild, which multiplies at an exponential rate.

• It is a common old wives tale that handling a toad will result in a person getting warts on their hands. This originated since the toad's own skin is bumpy and appears to have warts on it. However, warts are caused by a type of virus and handling a toad cannot give you warts. Another old wives tale thought to cure thrush was to hold a live frog with its head in the patient's mouth. As it breathed, so it drew the disease away and into itself. The dried body of a frog worn in a silk bag around the neck was also thought to avert epilepsy and other fits.

• The author Morris Gleitzman has written numerous books of toad comedy and adventure. Have you read any of his books? This one, Toad Rage, is an epic story of a slightly squashed young cane toad's quest for the truth about a missing friend.

• Humorous videos such as "What happened to Baz?" (viewer discretion advised - language / scenes that may upset)

• And then there are the lovely frogs from childhood stories...

Can you think of any other depictions of frogs or toads in popular culture, either positive or negative?

In the news: New species of frog discovered

Asia's tiniest frog has just been discovered on the island of Borneo. When fully grown, it is no bigger than a pea! Read more on the article here
I wonder if there are any other frog species yet to be discovered in Australia? What do you think? If there are, where might they be hiding?

The Biggest??

This is a photo of the biggest toad I could find! Can you beat it?

See a video at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_onANXeIPA

Or what about this one?

Life cycle of frogs and toads

Here is a small animation we made in our Science tutorial, just brushing up on our iMovie skills. The students will make an animation of their own, charting the life cycle of toads and frogs

Frogs of Brisbane and how to identify them: Is it a frog or is it a toad?

Did you know that there are 49 frogs listed as occurring in the regions surrounding Brisbane?
Have you ever seen frogs or toads in your garden at home? Some are really easy to identify as frogs, but there are a lot of dark brown native frogs in Brisbane that someone might mistakingly attempt to hurt thinking it is a cane toad.
The experts at the Amphibian Research Centre have posted some pictures here of all of the frogs found in Brisbane, also listing the identifying features of them all. Just click on the pictures for more detailed information.
This is a really useful tool to have access to when conducting your backyard survey.
Below in blue is what Amphibian Research Centre have posted about identifying a cane toad in your back garden. (Some of the terms you might need to look into a little further, such as finding out what where the glands and tubercules are located on a frog)

Visible features
Presented here is the information stored in the frogs.org.au database which is used to identify frogs based on their appearance. It is intended to be used in a key guide for separating species so some of the information (for example, back colours) may be rather non-specific. The system is currently being developed - if you notice errors in the data, please write to Dave Black at the address at the bottom of the page.
Important note: This information details only the appearance of the frog. If an "or" appears in the description, this may mean either that there is some variation within the species or that the feature might be observed differently by different people. For example, if a frog has very small toe pads, it may be listed as having "Toe pads: present or absent"

Size
Up to greater than 90mm

Eyes, hands, and feet
Pupils: horizontal
Toe pads: absent
Webbing on feet: half-webbing or full-webbing

Belly
Texture: smooth
Pattern: plain
Colour: multi-coloured with only black, grey, and white or multi-coloured featuring a colour in addition to black, grey, and white

Back
Texture: rough or warty or ridged
Pattern: plain or mixed / marbled
Colour: single colour or multi-coloured

Glands and tubercles
Parotoid gland: present
Tibial gland: absent
Metatarsal tubercles: Non-keratinised glands present (fleshy or uncoloured)