Tis is a noisy time of year in the animal kingdom. All sorts of animals are grunting, chirping and croaking over the top of each other in a cacophony of mating calls. One of the biggest perpetrators is also one of the tiniest!
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The teeny, tiny Grenfell Peron’s Tree Frog is making one hell of a racket this month so get ready for some late night window slamming, but don’t get too angry, as this little buddy is also doing you a big service.
Backyard Buddies is a free program run by Australia’s Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. “You might hear this noisy buddy all the time but don’t know what it is,” said Ms Susanna Bradshaw, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. “So if you have an unidentified animal call at night that sounds a bit like a jackhammer crossed with a crazy laugh, don’t worry as it might just be your local Peron’s Tree Frog.”
Ms Bradshaw said, “Spring - Summertime you can expect their loud calling to be pretty noticeable at the moment, especially after rain.”
“Unfortunately the Peron’s Tree Frog starts its loud calls when most of us are trying to go to sleep. On warm nights, they can call and call for hours,” said Ms Bradshaw.
Ms Bradshaw said, “The male with the loudest, most ear-drum-pounding call, is the one who will attract the most lady frogs. These calls are irresistible to a female Peron’s Tree Frog and she will choose the male with the loudest call.”
“The Peron’s Tree Frog loves to climb up trees and houses to help make its call travel further,” said Ms Bradshaw. “These clever little frogs have also worked out that the downpipes on your house help amplify their calls like a megaphone.”
Ms Bradshaw said, “Like all noisy neighbours, these buddies can certainly be a bit frustrating at times. But there are plenty of reasons to be glad to have the Peron’s Tree Frog around.”
“These amazing little frogs eat all sorts of flying, crawling, scurrying bugs that you don’t necessarily want in and around your house,” said Ms Bradshaw. “They are also really adorable with their big, black eyes and gentle nature.”
“Having Peron’s Tree Frogs and other frogs around is a good indication of a healthy environment so the more frogs you have, the healthier your neighbourhood is likely to be,” said Ms Bradshaw.
- Peron’s Tree Frogs are one of the few frogs who can breed and climb out of slippery, vertical water features. If you want to encourage a greater range of frogs, make sure to place an escape route in your pond, like some carefully placed logs and rocks, so they can get out easily.
- Frogs have very sensitive and porous skin so avoid chemicals such as insecticides or motor oils in your garden as these can kill frogs.
- Avoid picking up Peron’s Tree Frogs as dry hands can easily tear their skin. Frog skin is very porous and any chemicals on you or in your garden can be easily absorbed by them and make them sick.
- Avoid moving frogs to different areas is also a bad idea as this can spread chytrid fungus, which is deadly to frogs.
“These incredible frogs have an impressive trick up their sleeve,” said Ms Bradshaw “In just a matter of seconds, the Peron’s Tree Frog can completely change its colour. This can make it difficult to work out what species of frog you’re looking at but you can tell by their cross-shaped pupil and their distinctive call.”
“The Peron’s Tree Frog’s call is easy to recognise,” said Ms Bradshaw. “Listen out for a loud, repetitive ‘cra-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhk‘ in your neighbourhood tonight.”
- These tree frogs have suction caps on their toes that help them to climb out of ponds that other frogs can find challenging. It also helps them climb trees, walls and just about anything vertical.
- The Peron’s Tree Frog looks almost identical to the Tyler’s Tree Frog. One of the best ways to tell them apart is by their calls. The Peron’s Tree Frog sounds more like heavy machinery whereas the Tyler’s Tree Frog is more like a high-pitched laugh.
- Unlike most tadpoles that swish their tails from side to side, the Peron’s Tree Frog tadpoles can spin their tails like a whirlpool. This helps them to stay in the one spot to eat their food.
“During autumn and winter, you won’t hear a peep out of these frogs, so just remember that they will be easing off soon and in the meantime, that jackhammer sound means your house is receiving some free pest control,” said Ms Bradshaw.
Why are frogs so happy? Because they eat whatever bugs them!
