Reign Of Frog Princes Begins Soon
Newcastle Herald
Thursday March 13, 2008
IT'S about to start pouring frogs in Newcastle, which is a sign the environment is in good shape.
Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife CEO Leonie Gale said recent rain had made the area a great breeding ground for frogs."Tadpoles can breed in ephemeral ponds [that have been created by recent rain] and have to leave when ponds dry out," Ms Gale said."So there are more tadpoles, which means more frogs on the way."Part of the reason many frog species are endangered is because they are sensitive to their environment, so it is good news for Newcastle that the frogs are happy here.National Parks and Wildlife are encouraging people to make their gardens frog-friendly in anticipation of the thousands of tadpoles that will be undergoing metamorphosis this month.Ms Gale says Newcastle residents can easily attract frogs into their backyards by creating a pond, or putting shrubs, trees, rocks and leaf litter around rocks in their garden."If you are in Newcastle and you have got frogs in your backyard then you are doing a great thing for the future of wildlife," Ms Gale said. "The fact is they are not going to have very many spots to go in the future."Visit the website for more information on how to create a frog-friendly backyard.www.backyardbuddies.net.au
© 2008 Newcastle Herald