Croaky Creekings

JUST something you needed to know and in line with all this rain we have been having . . . it’s FrogID Week.

The Australian Museum reminds (not that you would ever forget) today is the start of the croaky week which lasts until November 15.

Now in its third year, FrogID is designed to collect audio recordings of frog calls across the nation – at a moment in time – to monitor frog populations and help save Australia’s threatened frog species.

So far, FrogID has identified more than 240,000 frog calls and identified 199 of the known 241 Australian frog species. During FrogID Week last year, Australians recorded more than 5400 frogs from 71 species. 

FrogID Week aims to build on the critical data gathered over the past two years.

This is a crucial year for FrogID Week, as the data collected will help scientists determine the impact of climate change, drought, and bushfires on the frog population.

Dr Jodi Rowley, lead scientist of FrogID and the curator of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum, has been using FrogID data from bushfire ravaged areas of south eastern Australia to assess the impact on frogs and their habitat and has been encouraged by these findings, as well as observations of frogs in burnt habitats.

“I was expecting the bushfires to have wiped out many frog populations, so I’ve been stunned by some of the positive signs I’ve seen recently,” she said.

“In one bushfire affected rainforest stream, not too long after the fires, I was excited to hear the endangered Southern Barred Frog (Mixophyes balbus) calling along the stream.

“A few months later, I returned to find the same stream, still full of ash, full of their tadpoles.

“We have so much more to understand about these amazing animals, but we can only do this with help from people across Australia.

“Get outside, listen for frogs and send us their calls – it’s simple to do and you’ll be helping to save Australia’s frogs.”

In less than three years, FrogID has produced more than 30 percent of all the frog records in Australia over the last 240 years – crucial information which helps scientists learn more about our frogs in order to protect them. 

Davie’s Tree Frog (Litoria daviesae). Photo by Jodi Rowley, Australian Museum.