- This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 2023-10-20 at 08:09 by .
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Petrea- Caleta de Velez
Nine years ago my husband and I bought an appartment with a little garden in an urbanization in Axarquia, ca 1 km from the coast. It is more or less situated in the middle of a golf course, so surrounded by lots of green areas, including common gardens of the urb. Now, this year, to my big surprise, my garden has been visited by several specimens of tree frogs (Hyla meridionalis)! Such precious creatures!
I wonder where then are suddenly coming from? Are they fleeing the drought in other areas? Hope not, but no good breeding habitats here, except perhaps the ponds in the golf course. However, does not look like there is much vegetation around those – as far as I can see from outside. Are they not too particular about their breeding ponds?
I think I have seen 4: first 2 light green ones (March 12, Apr. 2), like the first photo, then 2 dark green ones (June 27, July 25), smaller than the first one (photo 2, Match: 54 mm.). I read that they breed early in the year, and frog 4 seemed to be larger than frog 3: perhaps a young one growing bigger during the 4 weeks between the observation?
A funny detail: I was watering a few potted plants, when a strange lump suddenly fell out of the spout of the watering can – and it immediately took off in a big leap! Yes, the last (so far) of the tree frogs! I have now offered him(?) a better(?) hideout than the watering can: this large overturned jar, containing a puddle of water. Perhaps these frogs have also been using the center holes of the Bromelias (small one on pic. 3)?
PS: Has turned out to look more blue than green on the photo, due to reflections! Actually, they do come in blue – would like to see one!
Saludos
Petrea
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CarlHi Petrea. What great photos!
I have seen young tree frogs and they are often brown rather than that bright green when they are adult. Clive has a good article over at his website with a few more details about them: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/stripeless-treefrog-hyla-meridionalis-ranita-meridional/
As they need water for breeding yours must have come from some pond nearby. Presumably the golf course no? Maybe something has happened to increase the numbers like the course not using so many chemicals or a reduction in fish and other predators in the ponds…
Have you put a bowl of water down for them if they get thirsty? if you change it every three days or so there wont be a mosquito issue.
What a great post! thanks for sharing 🙂
Petrea- Caleta de Velez
Thank you Carl.
Have been thinking about possible changes recently:
One can hope that the golf course has done something. I have sent them an email, hoping to contact with someone there interested in the fauna. Will come back, if successful.
More locally: there used to be a large ivy hedge covering the fence to the neighbor. 2 years ago, we agreed to remove it. The neighbor has placed quite a few large pots along the fence instead. He is only there for holidays, but has somebody watering, filling up the large saucers under the pots. Perhaps this has attracted the frogs. When I discovered them, I also have tried to supply water, being worried how they kept their skin moist all the time.
About mosquitos.: wonder if they may hunt in water (the larvae!).
I think the little dark green frog is now on the other side of the fence: I accidentally scared it a bit. The neighbor is away at the moment, so hoping he wil come back soon and urge it to move back to me! 😉 I don´t think he knows about this, have better tell him, so he does not accidentally harm any of these precious animalitos.
Miguel- Cádiz
I hand reared some from eggs many years ago when I found some in a rapidly drying up pond. It was a fascinating project until I released them back into a larger pond a few months later. In my experience they don’t eat mozzie larvae in the water. They like to jump and catch flies and bugs on dry land. I had a fruit fly farm going for my bunch whilst they were little. 🙂
Petrea- Caleta de Velez
What a nice project you had going, Miguel! (sorry for slow response!) How many adults did you manage to raise?
So neither adults or tadpoles eat mozzia larvae according to your experience?
No answer to my email to the golf course! They need a PR department: not very popular at the moment, so they really should work for their reputation!
Miguel- Cádiz
Hello!
About 30 from tadpoles to mini frogs. I left overripe fruit outside and then netted fruit flies to feed them on. I suppose when they are in a natural pond as tadpoles they would eat mozzie larvae?
Maybe you have to be a club member to get email support at the golf course 🙂
Petrea- Caleta de Velez
Great! 30 little precious little tree frogs saved, well done!
Petrea- Caleta de Velez
Recently, my first frog (I like to think!) came back for a short visit. The ponds on the golf course are drying out, so if we do not get enough rain, then perhaps I should offer the frogs a small pond in the spring(?). However:
1. I do not know what minimum size they would use. Have read that they breed in temporary ponds, so perhaps they are not too demanding.
2. The larvae are vegetarians*) and I surely do not want to breed mozzies!!! Not easy to keep the mozzies out while letting the frogs in! Perhaps I can move the frog eggs to another container while getting rid of moz-larvae, and then use a moz-net(?).
So another reason to pray for rain!!! And then let nature take care! 😉
*) https://www.agenciasinc.es/en/News/Frog-and-toad-larvae-become-vegetarian-when-it-is-hot
clive- Grazalema
Maybe yesterdays rain has helped out a bit with the golf course ponds?
That article about the diet changing is absolutely amazing. Who would have known that?
“The larvae were kept in three different sets of conditions: with a solely vegetable-based diet, solely animal-based or a mixed diet. This third situation allowed us to assess whether they modified their diets towards a greater or lower percentage of vegetable matter,”
Take a trip on the Wildside!
https://wildsideholidays.co.uk (Wildlife and nature holidays in Spain)
https://grazalemaguide.com/ (All my web projects in one portal and everything you need to know about Grazalema)
Petrea
Carl
Miguel
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