Attracting Frogs to Your Garden @Sustainablegardeningaustralia #Sustainablegardeningaustralia

Sustainable Gardening Australia www.sgaonline.org.au [email protected] Attracting Frogs to your Garden @sustainablegardeningaustralia #sustainablegardeningaustralia

• Froggy Facts Frogs are carnivorous and will eat anything that fits in their mouths but mainly eating insects; Frogs are the only living native amphibian in Australia; Over 240 species of native frog in Australia; 21 new species have been discovered over the past decade; Undergo metamorphosis from a tadpole to a frog; Each frog species has a unique call; Four ways of breathing 1)Gills (tadpoles); 2) Skin (in water and on land) 3) Lining of the mouth cavity; 4) Lungs As frogs can absorb water and breath through their skin, they are very susceptible to chemicals, including garden chemicals; An abundance and diversity of frogs is an indication of a healthy eco-system / garden • Threats to Frogs Highly sensitive to changes in the environment; Populations in decline around the world and in; Australia ; Contributing factors - Habitat loss; Introduced predator animals; Pollution and chemicals; Salinity; Climate change Chytrid fungus - First detected in Australia in 1978; 43 Australian species have declined; 7 extinctions; 6 species at high risk of extinction • A Gardeners’ Response 1. Stop using harsh garden chemicals 2. Use natural solutions to garden challenges 3. Be a responsible pet owner 4. Build a frog friendly garden 5. Contribute to scientific research via citizen science activities 6. Learn about your local frogs • Stop Using Garden Chemicals Frogs absorb moisture and breath through their skin and can easily absorb herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers; Pesticides kill a frog’s food source; Insects that have been sprayed can be harmful to frogs that eat them; Low levels of nitrates (e.g. fertilisers) are enough to kill some species of frog (1) ;Wetting agents (surfactants) can be absorbed by frogs and impact their health SGA’s soon to be launched “Garden Product Guide” will help you identify which garden products have lower environmental impact • Natural Solutions to Garden Challenges – Integrated Garden Management (IGM) Feed your garden naturally - Use organic soil conditioner like compost; Use slow release organic fertilisers (manure pellets); Mulch grass clippings back into the lawn Manage weeds naturally - Integrated Weed Management; Mulching; Pulling out before they seed; Plant cover crops Manage pest naturally - Integrated Pest Management; Build biodiversity into your garden plans; Attract beneficial insects Wet your soil naturally - Add mature compost; Mulch Mulch Mulch; Install a drip irrigation system; Use a frog friendly surfactant and use minimally • Be a Responsible Pet Owner Frogs are very susceptible to attacks from family pets; Keep pets away from the pond, especially in the hours around dawn and dusk as this is when frogs are on the move; Ensure there are lots of hiding places around the pond. Plants, rocks, logs, mulch, cracks and crevasses • Build a Frog Friendly Garden Food - Insects, water plants, algae Shelter - Leaf litter, long grass, logs, rocks, mossy crevasses, strappy and reedy plants, native grasses, ground cover plants, shady trees, windbreaks, water, moist / boggy soil Water - Frogs can dehydrate quickly in hot / windy weather; Ponds, gullies, depressions, rock pools, drip irrigation around the pond Breeding sites - Ponds • Protecting Frogs

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Native frogs and tadpoles are protected by law in Victoria; It is illegal to capture frogs or to raise tadpoles for release; Providing habitat for frogs encourages them to move into your garden • Citizen Science and ID Apps – Melbourne Water Frog Census app; Australian Museum FrogID app • Learn About Local Frogs www.melbournewater.com.au/media/426/download; www.frogs.org.au; www.nccma.vic.gov.au - North Central Catchment Management Authority Fact Sheets; Attracting Frogs to your garden by Kevin Casey • Frog Ponds A damp zone at water’s edge for adult frogs A shallow water zone for laying eggs A deep zone of at least 30cm for tadpoles • Frog Friendly Gardens Mulch; Bark mulches provide shelter, encourage insects (food) and keep the soil cool and moist Logs and Rocks - Fallen branches, logs and rocks provide shelter and encourage insects (food) Avoid plants with toxic leaves near the pond. e.g. Oleanders, pines, Australian indigo Shrubs - Lilly Pilly (Acmena smithii), Assorted Grevilleas (Grevillia spp.), Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.), Hakea (Hakea spp.), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria sponosa) Boggy plants - Soft Water Fern (Blechnum minus), Thatch Saw-sedge (Gahnia radula), Knobby Club-rush (Isolepis nodosa), Grassy Mat-rush (Lomandra confertifolia), Tassel Cord Rush (Baloskion tetraphyllum) • Frog Pond Gardens - Water Plants Avoid plants that are environmental weeds; Water plants provide food for tadpoles; For oxygenation keep at least 20% of the pond as open water; Plant with a diversity of aquatic plants Oxygenators - Plants with most or all leaves under water; Increase oxygen in the water; Nutrient sponges filtering out ammonia, nitrates, nitrates and other minerals Oxygenator varieties - Varied water-milfoil (Myriophyllum varifolium); Water-milfoil (Myriophyllum crispatum); Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum); Water Ribbons (Triglochin procerum); River ribbons / Eel Grass (Vallisneria australis) Other water plants - Common Nardoo (Marsilea drummondii); Water Finge / Marshwort (Nymphoides geminata); Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria); Tassel Sedge (Carex fascicularis); Jointed Twig-rush (Baumea articulata) • Plants for Frog Gardens - Pond Side Plants Soft, thick vegetation that droops over the water’s edge Groundcovers - Kidney weed (Dichondra repens); Native violet (Viola hederacea); Purple coral pea (Hardenburgia spp.); Cut leaf daisy (Brachysome multifida); Creeping boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium) Grasses - Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra); Weeping grass (Microleana stipoides); Wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia spp.) Tufting plants - Pale rush (Juncus pallidus); Black-anther flax-lily (Dianella revoluta) • Frog Pond Problems Goldfish – eat eggs and tadpoles. Use native fish Cats and dogs – protect the area with sharp, spiky plants and provide lots of hiding spaces Chemicals – frogs are very sensitive to chemicals which are absorbed through their thin skin. Avoid garden chemicals Fountain pumps – Ensure a filter over inlet so tadpoles and eggs aren’t sucked up Floating plants – too many covering the top of the pond will reduce oxygen levels for tadpoles Over cleaning the pond – tadpoles need decaying material in the pond water as a food source Algal blooms – Provide 70% shading of the surface area. Place a small amount of barley straw in the pond. As it decomposes it produces a natural algaecide A frog pond can attract predators like snakes – build pond away from the house Mosquitos – next slide

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• Beware – Snakes Frogs are a natural part of the snake’s food chain; Having frogs can increase the risk of attracting snakes; Snakes are protected – it is illegal to kill them; Call a snake catcher; Use the visit as an opportunity to teach children about snakes (observing safety precautions); In the event of a bite apply first aid and phone 000 IMMEDIATELY; Bring pets inside, animals bitten by snakes need immediate medical attention Wildlife Rescue Website - www.wires.org.au/wildlife-info/wildlife-education/snakes • Managing Mosquitos Mosquitos prefer still water when laying their eggs and usually lay eggs at night; Ensure no containers around the garden with water in them; Create movement in the water with a small solar pump / fountain that works off a rechargeable battery; Incorporate frog friendly native fish into the pond • Environmental Pest - Mosquito Fish (Gambusia Holbrooki) Introduced to control mosquitos; Are live bearers and out compete native fish; Harass and nip the fins of other small fish and tadpoles; Has been implicated in the decline of several small native species; Declared noxious species in Victoria and it is illegal to hold or translocate the fish • Native Fish for the Frog Pond Southern Pygmy Perch - (Nannoperca australis); Murray Rainbowfish - (Melanotaenia fluviatilis); Honey Blue-eye - (Pseudomugli mellis); Crimson Spotted Rainbowfish - (Melanotaenia duboulayi) • Pond Design Tips Away from the house – Noise; Snakes Away from trees - Avoid root problems; Reduce leaves clogging the pond; 70% shade, 30% sun; Some algae growth but not too much; Don’t want to overheat the water Somewhere safe - Visible from inside the house; Surrounded by fencing Avoid toxic materials – human safe Plant water plants in pots; Helps restrict excessive growth; Easier to maintain • Pond Safety with Children Think about your children, grandchildren neighbor's children and visitor’s children; Talk to your children about being safe around the pond; Supervise children around the pond; Locate the pond where it is visible from the house; Ponds with gentle sides are safer than deep sided ponds; Grow lots of plants next to the deep end making it hard to access; Install some fencing around the pond; Install a grate over the pond (100mm, x 100mm). Don’t use chicken wire. It is too flexible and won’t carry weight; Install a pond safety net or grill • Pond Maintenance Fill with rainwater where possible; Tanks or downpipe diversion; If using chlorinated water, let it stand for a couple of days for the chlorine to dissipate; Clear out excessive water plants and leaf debris; Great for the compost; Check pump and any filter; Building a Pond; Ensure your pond is level when installing • Different types of ponds Clay – local; Clay – bentonite; Concrete; Liner; Pre-cast • Installing a Pre-formed Pond Shell Trace the outline of the shell on the ground with sand or spay chalk; Dig a hole approx. 10cm larger than the shell; Ensure the pond is level when in the hole; Place a 10cm layer of sand on the base of the hole.; Use the sand to improve the levels. It should sit above the garden level; Backfill with soil around the edge; Fill the pond with water • Construction of a Liner Frog Pond Relatively cheap and easy to construct; Provides excellent habitat and breeding sites for a broad range of pond breeding frog species; Construction of a Liner Frog Pond Materials - Sand or underlay; Pond liner that is safe for human water consumption; Shade cloth; Sleepers; Rocks; Cement or clay; Soil; Barley Straw; Time - 2-4 days to complete Money - Between $500 - $3000 including plants

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Dig a hole with sloped edges, shallow areas and deeper areas (at least 30cm); Cover with a layer of sand, rubber matting or polyester underlay to protect the liner from punctures; Lay the liner into position. Partly fill with water so creases can be removed, and levels checked; The liner is laid into position and partly filled with water to enable creases to be removed and levels checked Add a concrete or clay render around the edges to stabilize the soil; Install large rocks and logs around the pond placing any that are going to be on the liner on a piece of shade cloth to protect the liner Backfill around the pond with local soil and plant out the edges; Place barley straw around the pond and a small amount into the pond. The barley straw decomposes to produce a natural algaecide and helps prevent algae blooms occurring in your new pond.

Some Local Frogs

• Growling Grass Frog - Litoria raniformis Description- Large - 55 to100mm; Handsome; Shades of green - dull olive to bright green; Black or bronze spots or lines; Bumpy back; Breeding season – August – April; Part of the tree frog family but..; Found close to water in grassland and bushland Conservation status – Endangered; Call - Grrruh-uh-uh- urk. Grrruh-uh- uh-urk. Grrruuuurk; Like an engine not starting • Southern Brown Tree Frog - Litoria ewingii Description - Small – 30 to 50mm; Great climber and jumper. Can catch insects mid jump; Shades of brown but are some rare green ones; Dark line from nostril to shoulder;Toe pads and partially webbed feet; Breeding season – all year; Happy in suburban areas, flooded grasslands, wet marsh areas; Common in gardens; Conservation status - Secure; Quite common; Calls all year round from the ground, at waters edge or in water Hear after rain - Creeee-cree-cree-cree • Spotted Marsh Frog - Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Description - Medium size 30 to 45mm; Irregular spots and blotches; Brown with green spots; Adult males call from the water; Breeding season August to May; Grasslands, bushland, towns and suburbs near water; Shelters in the day under rocks and wood; In dry period shelter in cracks in the ground; Males hide at a ponds edge; Conservation Status - Common in SE Australia; Secure; Call - Calls all year round - Click...Click...Click...Click... • Striped Marsh Frog - Limnodynastes Peronii Description - Medium size – up to 65mm; Similar shape to Spotted Marsh Frog but striped; Voracious hunter; Inhabit any body of water; Shelters among reeds and debris; Conservation status – Secure; Call - Bok...bok...bok... Similar to a chicken sound; Calls most of the year • Common Eastern Froglet - Crinia signifera Description - A very common frog; Small frog - 20-30mm; Variable coloration and patterns; Breeding season – All year; Lives on the ground; From mountains to coast; Hangs around water; Shelters under logs and leaf litter Conservation status – Secure; Calls year round; Rochette call; Crick, crick, crick, crick, crick • Eastern Banjo (Pobble Bonk) Frog - Limnodynastes dumerilii Description - Limnodynastes – Lord of the swamp; Medium to Large - up to 70mm; Pale bumpy stripe under the eye; Highly variable coloring – light greys, greens, browns, black; Breeding season – August → April; Founds on land, grassland, bushland; Burrows in the ground; Conservation status – Secure; Call - Calls year round - Bonk...bonk...pobble-bonk • Other Local Frogs – Peron’s Tree Frog; Lesueur’s Frog; Common Spadefoot Frog; Red-groined Froglet; Whistling Tree Frog; Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog; Southern Toadlet; Victorian Smooth Froglet; Eastern Sign-bearing froglet