Green and gold frogs that is. In the bathtub near the small greenhouse-cum-potting shed that’s been a haven for green and golds for several years, and is also a water source for thirsty birds when they don’t fancy drinking or preening their feathers in the bird bath.
The latest wildlife rescue was a large frog who’d gone exploring in the raspberry patch, and then couldn’t work out how to negotiate the netting to extricate herself. We’re sure it’s a ‘she’ because of her size. Female GGs are bigger than the males. Rescue accomplished the obvious solution was to plonk her in the bathtub to join the two frogs already there. At least we think they’re both still there but days can go by when we don’t see them so it’s hard to be certain. Then just as we’ve decided they must have hopped off to pastures new, suddenly there they are, basking on the side of the tub, or hanging onto the wire netting that covers some of the tub, while enjoying the view. Neither of them seem too fazed when we walk past now so assume they’re got used to us and realise we pose no threat. Hopefully they’ll also get along with ‘big mamma’.
Heartening though it is to have seen and heard some GGs this summer, and been able to rescue a couple of them, we’ve not seen as many as usual. Not even squashed ones on the road – roadkill victims when they’ve been out partying in the rain.
It would be easy to lay the blame at the door of development for the apparent loss of these frogs given so much former farmland in the area has been sold for residential housing. It’s known that disease can all too readily be introduced through heavy vehicle movements, and on the soles of boots, and the amphibian fungus disease known as chytrid is still very much a concern around the world.
We’ll just have to cross our fingers and hope our ancient bathtub is providing a sanctuary for at least three green and golds, and they’ll choose to overwinter there, ready for breeding again come the spring.
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