‘Toad’ally freaky for frogs – The Natal Tree Frog
This column features everything you need to know about frogs. The Natal Tree Frog are characterised by their large eyes and long sticky toes, and these are the features which people tend to find lovable.
FOR anyone who has an interest in frogs, or those who just have a soft spot for them, this little frog is generally a favourite for all: the Natal Tree Frog (Leptopelis natalensis).
Appearance:
Natal Tree Frogs are characterised by their large eyes and long sticky toes, and these are the features which people tend to find lovable. Their eyes tend to be a red/orange colour. Their body is often a bronze colouration, or a pretty lime green colour.
Is it poisonous? Not at all.
What call do they make? Their ‘yack yack’ call is quite loud and clear, and it is a common sound in suburban gardens in the highway area, particularly on rainy nights. The ‘yack yack’ is followed by a buzzing sound.
Where do they live? As mentioned, they are quite common in suburbia, especially in ‘bushy’ gardens. Naturally, they live in the forest biome, such as coastal forests. Hence their other name, Forest Tree Frog. They call from trees usually overhanging ponds or streams. Tree Frogs seem to have a preference for the Wild Banana Tree (Strelitzia nicolai), as well as the Waterberry Tree/Umdoni (Syzygium cordatum). They are also seen during the day, sleeping on doors, windows, or even in bathrooms.
Did you know?
Have you ever seen one of these frogs, or another species, sleeping during the day? If so, you would have noticed that they are perched with their feet tightly tucked in under their body. This is actually a method of preventing water loss. Frogs have semi-permeable skin, which they absorb water through by submerging themselves in water. Most of this absorbed water is lost through their ‘belly’, where the skin is most permeable. By tucking their feet in under their body, they are preventing this loss of water. Clever creatures.
Another interesting face about Tree Frogs, is that they do not lay their eggs in the water like most other frog species. They actually dig a shallow burrow in mud or leaf-litter, close to the water, and lay their eggs there. After heavy rains, the tadpoles hatch, and wriggle down to the water’s edge.
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