Tree Frog & Cane Toad Heaven in Katherine Northern Territory

Having removed 109 Cane Toads from the yard the other night, and seeing the fishpond over run by Cane Toads every night, I see no hope for the Green Tree Frog in keeping up its breeding patterns unless they get a hand from humans. (See more on the Cane toad here)

This year we have set up a tree frog breeding pond in an old bathtub, supported in an old table frame off the ground. And two frogs out in the old chook yard water tank (not sure if they are old enough to breed).

We also have another kids wading pool (sorry kids) that will be put on Bessa blocks to decrease opportunities for cane toads and hopefully increase the likelihood of a few frog survivors.

The idea is to not allow cane toads into the water where the tree frogs will be breeding.

There are already guppies in the water to combat any mosquito larvae & if all goes well , these will not interfere with the tadpoles.

Northern Territory Cane Toads by the truckloads
Which do you prefer to see ??

Although when the first rains come, that first night it is a noisy night as the frogs (all sorts) get into party mode and meet around any puddle of water to do what frogs do. We noticed last year that there was too long between rains and puddles/ponds dried up within a week or two, leaving no time for tadpoles to develop.

In 2003 we embarked on a rescue mission and managed to gather about 80 tadpoles (who knows what we had) the day before the pond dried up and kept them in a bucket until the rains filled the pond again about 2 weeks later, when we released them back into the pond. Unfortunately the time difference between a nearly dry pond when going off to work & returning home at night to a bone dry pond comes too quick. Besides that the local spoonbill had a ball. Maybe spoonbills are immune to the poisonous cane toad tadpoles?

All we are hoping for this year is to give a tree frog an even chance. Even if it means playing match maker.

It would be great if others could do something similar.

The Green Tree Frog in Top End of Australia, popular in everyones laundry.....but are there enough younger ones coming through ?