A Good Night for Frogs

Last night I went out to one of the branches off Yabba Creek outside of Imbil. It was a warm night and storms were on there way in so I went out as early as I could to see if I could see or hear the frog from this area that I heard a few weeks ago. I went to the same location and I heard very few frogs at all. The creek had stopped running in this area since I was last here so this was probably the main reason for this. I could hear a couple of Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs in the trees and one Pearson's Green Tree Frog near a small body of water. I waited for about half an hour with no other calls heard or frogs seen. I decided to walk down the creek. I walked down about 200 metres to where the water was flowing again and as I approached I could hear many Pearson's Green Tree Frogs. I would have to say that I could hear well over 100 of them calling and I located about 20 or more within a 10 metre stretch of the bank. The continued to call downstream too, so there could have been many more. The best concentration of them was definitely where the water started to flow quickly again.

Just as I was about to start recording them I heard several Tusked Frogs calling out on the underside of a massive log partially in the water. There were 3 within a few metres of one another, calling out between the bark which had peeled of the trunk and the log itself. Due to their location I was unable to obtain any photos of them. I did get a recording of one calling for a short period though before my recorder went flat. I can't believe I didn't charge it up before I left!!

This is a recording of one of the Tusked Frogs calling from beneath the log. In between the parts of the Tusked Frog call, you can hear some Pearson's Green Tree Frogs calling too.

I took some photos of several different individual specimens of the Pearson's Green Tree Frogs. I could see a large variety in colour between all of the frogs within a very small area. The closer to the water they seemed to be, the darker they were. I'm not sure if this is always the case or just a coincidence. This male had stopped calling by the time I took the photos.

Pearson's Green Tree Frog on a leaf just out of the flowing water



Another Pearson's Green Tree Frog on branches about 20cm above the water

The same Pearson's Green Tree Frog from above

As I was moving towards the other side of the creek a couple of these frogs jumped out from the rocks near my feet. They were Wilcox's Frogs. This was only a small specimen that was about 2.5 - 3 cm in length. At first I was unsure due to the colour difference to the specimens that I find on my property but after looking at the photos closely I'm certain of this identification. The main reason I think that these are so different in colour to the ones that I have photographed on my property is  because these are photos of females and all the photos I have put on this blog from my house are males.

Wilcox's Frog from above

Female Wilcox's Frog



The same Female Wilcox's Frog

I was watching this Pearson's Green Tree Frog calling for quite a while and I was waiting for its air sack to inflate fully to get a photo. After watching it for more than 10 minutes I realised that when they call they do not inflate their air sack like some louder frogs do. The photos below were all taken during the advertising call of another Pearson's Green Tree Frog. I took many, many shots while it was calling and the air sack didn't inflate more than this in any shot. I watched several other specimens calling and they did not inflate their air sacks more than this during their call either. I assumed that they would inflate their air sacks like the Peron's Tree Frog and most other species that I have ever seen. This was very surprising to see. I would be interested to see if this is always the case during their call as I study them more over time.

This Pearson's Green Tree Frog was missing a little toe



Pearson's Green Tree Frog

Pearson's Green Tree Frog calling

Just as I was making my way back out of the creek to climb up to the car I saw the biggest spider that I have seen in many years. I love nature but spiders are one thing that I do not particularly enjoy seeing. If they are still I am fine but if they come towards me, climb on me or if I walk through their webs I start to panic! This spider was approximately 25cm from leg tip to leg tip!!

This spider was 25cm in length

I couldn't hear any other frogs calling out and the rain was starting to get heavier and I was unsure how much was coming so I decided to call it a night. There was no point in getting the camera wet as I have photos of all the frogs that I could see and/hear.

More pics and updates when more frogs are photographed and recorded.

Two Vulnerable Frogs for the Sunshine Coast

Last night a friend that told me that they had heard a Northern Banjo Frog calling out at Pomona during the day. I thought that this could be a good opportunity to obtain a few better photos of this species from this area. I have seen them many times before, but usually in northern New South Wales. I have seen them on my property at Coles Creek also but I haven't seen or heard them often when out and about around the Sunshine Coast.

I made my way to the location at Pomona but was unable to hear any of the Northern Banjo Frogs. As soon as I arrived though I could hear 3 other types of frogs. Two of them I could identify easily as soon as I heard them. The first frogs that were heard were many Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs, possibly 50 or more and the second was several Giant Barred Frogs. The other call I knew was familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it for a few minutes. I knew that it was a common call at my property during the summer. After listening to it for a short period I realised that they were Tusked Frogs calling out.

Firstly we honed in on a Tusked Frog calling out to obtain a clear recording. We located this Tusked Frog very easily under a small log. We lifted the log to obtain a few photos and placed the log back once we had finished. Within a few minutes he was calling again. Tusked frogs can be identified easily by their distinctive call. The belly of Tusked Frogs is marbled black and white and the thighs are marbled red and black. These markings along with the eye patterning can identify this frog apart from others in the same area. Also male Tusked frogs often have unusually large heads compared to the rest of their body.

Tusked Frog

Male Tusked Frog

Tusked Frog from the left side

The eye pattern of the Tusked Frog is helpful in identification

Tusked Frog from above

This is a recording of a Tusked Frog calling out from beneath a log, sitting in the water at Pomona. This advertisement call can go on for quite a while and can end with a second part to the call. I stopped recording before this happened due to traffic noise and barking dogs.

By the time we had finished photographing the Tusked Frogs the Giant Barred frogs had just about finished calling. We heard one call a few times and we made our way to the general area and we spotted him. We waited for quite a while for him to call again but it didn't happen. As a result I missed obtaining a recording of them.

This Giant Barred Frog was sitting on the edge of a very steep bank about 2 or 3 meters out of the water. This is often where Giant Barred and Great Barred Frogs are found on steeper creek banks like this. You are more likely to find them on steep banks compared to flat banks on a creek. These frogs have a few obvious distinguishing features. The first is their size. They are a large frog and as far as I know they are the second biggest in Australia.

Their back has spots/patterns in varying size that are darker in colour to the brown body colour. There is a dark triangle shape on either side of the nostrils.  The eye is the most obvious feature though. Their eye is a golden colour, which is lighter on the top half, compared to the lower half of the eye. There is also a dark stripe  that travels along the snout, through the eye and comes down behind the "ear" of the frog. Barring is also obvious on the legs.

Giant Barred Frog

Giant Barred Frog from above

The same Giant Barred Frog

 

 

 

I didn't find the Northern Banjo Frogs that I went to look for but I was pleased that I got to see two of our vulnerable frog species on the Sunshine Coast. I knew the Giant Barred Frogs were at this location but I was unaware that the Tusked Frogs were also here. I have not heard them on any occasion that I have been here before.

More pics and updates when more frogs are photographed and recorded.

Good Variety of Frogs at My Property for August

Today was a very warm day for mid August and tonight it was quite warm still so many species of frogs were calling out again tonight. I made my way out to where the Wilcox's Frogs are first of all. Last week I was out near where the Wilcox's Frogs are found on the property and I saw a male mating with a toad!! I couldn't believe my eyes but I saw another one doing the same thing tonight. These two are different genus so are unable to produce offspring.

Wilcox's Frog mating with a toad

All around the property hundreds or possibly even thousands of Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs were calling out. Heaps have been calling out certain nights that have been warmer over the last week or so but not like tonight. Also hundreds of Eastern Sign-bearing Frogs could be heard calling out as well. This is not uncommon though as they do call out all year round, even when it does get cooler.

I assume the next two photos below are of an Eastern Sign-bearing Frog even though it sounded very different from the others. It looks the same so I imagine it had something wrong with it as it sounded very different from all the others. At this stage I didn't have my recording equipment with me and by the time I returned with it, it had moved on and I couldn't hear this variation in call again.

Eastern Sign-bearing Frog

This is the side view of the same Eastern Sign-bearing Frog above

The next three photos are of a definite Eastern Sign-bearing Frog. It has the correct colours, patterning and advertisement call. A distinguishing feature of these frogs, but not unique to just this species are the longitudinal ridges down its back which are more obvious in the third photo.

Eastern Sign-bearing Frog

Also known as the Beeping Froglet

The longitudinal ridges are obvious on this Eastern Sign-bearing Frog

This is a recording of an Eastern Sign-bearing Frog's advertisement call from tonight.

The largest concentration of the Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs tonight was on the main dam near the house. They were all sitting on the water plants and small shrubs just above the water. It was deafening close to the edge of the water. The recording had to be done from about 30 metres from the waters edge so it didn't distort the recording. There was easily a few hundred in an area approximately 100 metres squared.

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog

The same Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog from above

Another Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog calling

Also known as Eastern Sedge Frogs

This is a recording of  many Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog's calling out tonight.

I went out to the front paddock and I could hear two species of frogs calling out instantly. I could hear several dozen Striped Marsh Frogs calling out. Most of these were in burrows in the ground which were quite full of water. They were sitting in the water calling continuously.

Striped Marsh Frog calling from his burrow

This is a recording of a couple of  Striped Marsh Frog's performing their advertisement call from tonight.

The other frogs that I thought I could hear were the Large Toadlets. I was fairly certain of this by their call. I found a couple and when I first looked I thought they were Dusky Toadlets. This was due to the massive colour difference from the ones I found earlier in the year and the striking yellow markings on the front legs. After closer inspection I noticed that they couldn't be Dusky Toadlets as they lacked the yellow groin marking on the hind legs. Also the glands near the head were not enlarged as they are for the Dusky Toadlet. As I thought from the call, they were indeed Large Toadlets.

Large Toadlet

Large Toadlets are also known as Major Toadlets

Side view of the Large Toadlet



This Large Toadlet was protecting some eggs!!
 

This is a recording of several of  Large Toadlet's performing their advertisement call from tonight.


As I was leaving to come back to the house I finally spotted one Striped Marsh Frog that was not calling out from a burrow so I was able to get some better photos.

Striped Marsh Frog

The same Striped Marsh Frog

The Striped Marsh Frog from above

I climbed up the stairs when I got back to the house and I spotted this Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog on the veranda just outside the door. To be honest I see many frog species on the house and veranda, but not very often are they Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs.





Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog on the veranda
 

More pics and updates when more frogs are photographed and recorded.