Hello everyone -- welcome to Melbourne Zoo’s Frog Blog!

My name is Raelene and I’m lucky enough to be working at Melbourne Zoo.  I’ve been here for three years, working in the Herpetofauna Department, specialising in frogs.

Did you know that 2008 is the International Year of the Frog?  So this year the world’s zoos are working extra hard to spread the word that frogs are in danger around the world, and that includes right here in our own backyards. Frogs are disappearing so fast that we need to do something now, or they might be gone forever!  I cannot imagine a world without frogs- Can you?

But the good news is that there are things we can do to help.  YES, YOU TOO!!!!

December 2008

Merry Christmas and a Hoppy New Year to all friends of our amazing amphibians!

Well we are really starting to warm up here at the zoo with nearly all of the frogs from the 12 native species calling trying to attract a mate on a regular basis!

Some of our local Brown Tree Frogs have managed to move back into our frog bog next to the World of Frogs. They have been calling every night, lets hope those birds don't make a meal out of them!
These frogs are very common around Melbourne, and I'm sure that you may have heard them around. Their call is a long series of notes:
'Creeee, creee, creee, cree, cree cree.' You can listen to this call on the Frogs Australia Website  

We have set up our breeding enclosures for the 2008/2009 breeding season for the Southern Corroboree Frogs.

I recently spent some time up at Taronga to look at their frog enclosures and it was great to catch up with the keepers there and talk nothing but frogs!

The Splash Back Poison frogs have started to metamorphose and there are currently 6 frogs hopping around madly eating fruit fly and hatchling crickets.

Although the Year of the Frog is coming to a close, it's no reason to stop caring, teaching and making people aware of the global amphibian crisis. Tell your friends about the importance of frogs in the environment and find a way to help.

Frogs around the world are affected by climate change; do your bit at home by switching off appliances and saving energy to help reduce carbon emissions.

Some recent good news: an animal survey in central Vietnam uncovered 5 new species of frogs! How fantastic is that! Lets hope they stay on the planet long enough for us all to enjoy.

Don't forget....

'It seems to me that if you wait until the frogs and toads
have croaked their last to take some action,
you've missed the point.'
Kermit the Frog

Happy Croaking
Raelene