OCTOBER 2020 WEB

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14 MEREDITH and DISTRICT NEWSIn our NatureWendy CookIn the dam is a band of percussionists, reaching peakdiversity and volume after dark. There are clicks, creaksand rattles, each sound belonging to a different species offrog. One of the most easily recognisable is the easternpobblebonk, also known as the banjo frog. It calls its nameloudly and quickly, pobble, pobblebonk, pobblebonk, bonk,bonk. The spotted marsh frog sounds as if it is strikingpebbles together, while striped marsh frogs make a noiselike a tennis ball being struck. The voice of the commonfroglet imitates the sound of winding up a watch. Southernbrown tree frogs make a continuous creaking call.Verreaux’s tree frogs have a fast high-pitched ‘weep weepweep’ call, rather like a bird. Painted burrowing frogs rattlelike one of the wooden instruments played by children, ahollow tube with ribs on the outside, along which a stick isscraped. The Victorian smooth froglet makes a highpitchedclick, and if you are lucky enough to hear a deepgrowling call, it is a species endangered in Victoria, thegrowling grass frog.While for us, it can be hard to distinguish individual callsin the cacophony, frogs have no such difficulty. All thesesounds are the advertisements of male frogs, notifyingfemales of their presence. As he calls, a thin sac of skin onhis throat expands, so that his call is louder. He may alsochoose a location were his voice can reverberate off rock oran overhanging bank. The females are full of eggs andlooking for a mate. Each listens carefully to the calls offrogs of her species, taking her time to select her preferredmale. He may be the one with the deepest call, indicatingthat he is one of the largest males. When she approacheshim, he jumps onto her back and hangs on, clasping herunder the armpits or around the waist. In most species, thefemale is larger than the male, and often he has roughpatches of skin on his feet to help him to stay on her back.The female carries him as she swims to a place where shewishes to lay her eggs. As she lays them, he releases sperminto the water to fertilise them. In some species, the eggsare laid in long strands. Others lay clusters of eggs, whichthey attach to vegetation. Some frogs allow theircollections of eggs to sink to the bottom of the dam orstream. There are different strategies for producing themost surviving tadpoles. One species may lay only a fewlarge eggs. Each egg will contain plenty of yolk to keep thedeveloping tadpole fed, so it can stay inside and be wellgrown when it hatches. It will then have a better chance ofescaping predators. Another species may lay large clumpsof spawn containing many small eggs. Each egg containsonly a small amount of yolk, so the tadpole will soon haveto hatch to find food. Many will be eaten, but a few willsurvive.The majority of tadpoles do not live to become adults. Fish,yabbies and birds all eat tadpoles. Those that live longenough to metamorphose into adult frogs face morepredators when they leave the water. Here they becomefood for snakes, lizards, more birds and some mammals.Tadpoles and frogs are also susceptible to pollution,including herbicides and pesticides used on farms.Throughout the world, frog populations are declining andsometimes becoming extinct, due to habitat destruction,climate change and infection by chytrid fungus, whichinfects the mouth parts of tadpoles and the skin of frogs.However, chytrid fungus does not seem to be a problem inthe Meredith area. Although frogs do not survive in saltywater, they can tolerate salinity better than the chytridfungus can. Our soils and water are saline enough to killthe fungus, but not too salty for frogs to thrive.If you have frogs calling from a creek or dam near you,and you are curious to know more about them, you candownload the Australian Museum’s FrogID app. Using it,you can record the calls of frogs that you hear, and theywill be identified by the Museum’s frog experts. The appalso provides you with information about the frogs thathave been identified, and any others you wish to learnabout, including their calls, description, habitat andtadpoles. The scientists use the calls that you record tolearn where different species of frogs are living, and tofollow changes in their populations over time.A.D.F.AUTO DRIVE FENCINGWendyFor ALL your fencing needsTown & RuralHorse, Sheep & Cattle yardsHorse SheltersPost & RailElectric fencingRepairs & MaintenanceSPECIALIZING IN FASTPOST DRIVING USING THE LATESTMUNRO AUTODRIVER ON SIDE SHIFTCall Matt 0438 828 043
MEREDITH and DISTRICT NEWS 15THEFARMGATESHOPMIDLAND HIGHWAY, ELAINE∑ Lamb, pork and venison∑ Seasonal, organic vegetables, including leeks,broccoli, cauliflower, swedes, carrots, radish,celeriac, fennel, tomatoes, potatoes, onions,basil, cucumbers, eggplant, sweet corn,chillies, lettuce and much more∑ Goldfield and Meredith Dairy Cheeses,Inglenook Dairy milk and cream, Timboon IceCream∑ Local olive oil and garlic∑ Pure honey: redgum, greybox, clover,yellowbox and more seasonal flavours∑ Homemade pickles, jams, marmalades andsauces∑ Meatrubs, Gravy, Balsamic Vinegars, SaladDressings∑ Free Range Eggs∑ Fresh Bread∑ Smoked Trout, Smoked Eel, Smoked Salmon∑ Cordials,Softdrinks∑ Dry biscuits,∑ Kookas Country CookiesYour Local Grocery StoreMidland highway ElaineOpen 7 Days a week 9am -5:30pmPh 0432024509 or 0437358307...and Much , Much More.If we don't have it we are happy to get it in foryou. Please ask a staff member.WE WILL KEEP YOU FED!We are proud to besupporting localproduce from LocalFarmers &Producers
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OCTOBER 2020 WEB

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