Creaks and croaks in our creeks

There are around a dozen or so species of frogs that occur in the Wangaratta region, among the most widespread and abundant being the Common Froglet. Inhabiting a range of different habitat types, Common Froglets are not as highly specialised as some other frog species, thus they are found in just about any wet, damp or flood-prone environment, such as creeks and rivers, dams and billabongs, and even roadside ditches and low-lying farmland. In these areas, they shelter under logs, rocks and ground litter, usually at the edge of water or otherwise in shallow depressions. Numerous individuals may be found beneath one rock or log. Rain stimulates their activity, and in wet conditions, they freely move across the landscape seeking moist patches of shallow water required for breeding. Eggs are laid individually or in loose clumps on the bottom of shallow waterbodies attached to submerged vegetation, and once the eggs hatch, tadpoles are bottom dwellers feeding on plant matter. All frogs make distinctive calls which, to the trained ear, are unique and identifiable. The sounds given by each species are usually the first indication of their presence, as most frogs can be quite difficult to actually see. The call of the Common Froglet, a ratchet-like ‘crick-ee, crick-ee, crick-ee’, can most commonly be heard after rains from late autumn, through winter, and into spring, as males advertise to prospective female mates. However, unlike most other frogs, Common Froglets regularly call throughout the year, day and night, whereas other species typically call only at night. In appearance, Common Froglets are among the smallest species of frog in our region, adults measuring 20-24mm - around the size of a 10-cent coin. Their general upper body colour is light grey to brown, patterned with pale and dark longitudinal broad stripes, but they are highly variable, making identification difficult. They are very similar in appearance to the related Plains Froglet (with which they often co-occur) and the much rarer Sloane’s Froglet. In the hand, they can be flipped over to observe their belly patterning; Common Froglets being coarsely mottled black and white, Plains Froglets being lightly ‘peppered’ in complexion, and Sloane’s being pale with scattered flecks of dark grey in clusters. Identification by call is by far the most reliable method.

Creaks and croaks in our creeks

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