Build a five-star hotel for the Peron's Tree Frog

The Peron’s Tree Frog is the frog of the month for April as part of the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s (GB CMA) 2022 Year of the Frog community awareness campaign. 

This project is supported by the Goulburn Broken CMA through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

GB CMA project officer, Janice Mentiplay-Smith, said that with yellow patches on its legs, star-shaped pupils and little webbed fingers and toes, many people were familiar with the Peron’s Tree Frog.

“This endearing little frog is often found in the urban environment. They like to climb up windows on warm nights, feasting on moths and insects attracted to indoor lights,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said. 

“Like all frogs, Peron’s Tree Frogs are important insect controllers – they will eat practically any insect they are able to catch, so are a vital link in nature’s food chain.”

Peron’s Tree Frogs have partially webbed fingers and fully webbed toes, with each digit sporting large disks which enable them to climb.

“Because of this, Peron’s Tree Frogs are at home in a purpose-built frog hotel, which cost almost nothing to build, and is a great way to add to the biodiversity in your back yard,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.

“Perfect for using up scrap materials, frog hotels provide safe habitat for these little frogs, giving them more real estate options and provides a safe-haven from cats, which prey on defenceless native frogs. 

“All you need is a small trough, large bucket or similar type of dish to arrange pipes of varying diameters and sizes. By placing water, rocks and even some vegetation at the base, you can create a five-star frog hotel.”

Ms Mentiplay-Smith said the Peron’s Tree Frog female lays either single eggs or eggs in small clumps, attached to sticks or pieces of vegetation beneath the water’s surface, often during spring and summer after rain.

“This frog loves to venture inside pipes, drains and water tanks. From within these man-made echo chambers, the Peron’s Tree Frog can amplify its croak, so it can be heard by females far and wide.” 

The Peron’s Tree Frog is a common inhabitant of the Goulburn Broken Catchment’s grey box grassy woodlands which are a focus of the GB CMA Linking Landscapes and Communities Project that works with landowners, communities and Traditional Owners to improve this critical habitat.

For ideas on how to make a Frog Hotel, search the internet for inspiration from sites such as:

Make a Mini Frog Hotel for the Garden (maygibbs.org)                                                                           

A guide to making a frog hotel with frog expert Jodi Rowley - Australian Geographic

How to build a frog hotel | Wildlife Preservation Society Queensland

Throughout 2022, The Goulburn Broken CMA and partners are celebrating the Year of the Frog, featuring a local frog species each month. For more information contact Janice Mentiplay-Smith on 0418 316 169 or email: janicem@gbcma.vic.gov.au