Frog Ponds
If you love the sound of frogs in your garden and would like to provide a safe refuge for them in your backyard, a small frog pond is a great way to attract them.
Frogs play an important role in our ecosystem as an ‘indicator species’ – by letting us know when there’s something wrong with the system. Australia has over 200 frog species and around 30 of them live in the south-west of Western Australia.
Here are some tips to consider for your frog pond:
- Location – the perfect location should be wet, quiet, have access to filtered sunlight & shade.
- Shelter – frogs love spaces where they can hide and be protected. You can use either natural or artificial features for shelter such as logs, pipes, rocks or holed bricks.
- Plants – fill your wet area with native plants. They not only provide additional shelter but will also attract insects which your frogs feed on. Water plants such as rushes or sedges also keep the water clean.
- No chemicals – frogs have very sensitive skin which they drink and breathe from. Avoid chemicals and (non-organic) fertilisers in and around your wet area as they may cause harm.
Frog-Friendly Suggestions:
| Water Plants | Ground Covers | Climbers & Creepers | Frog-friendly Fish |
| Tassel Sedge (Carex fasciculsris) | Centella (Centella sp.) | Running Postman (Kennedia prostrata) | Western Pygmy Perch (Edelia vittata) |
| Pale Rushes (Juncus pallidus) | Common Linearis (Dampiera linearis) | Native Wisteria (Hardenbergia comptoniana) | Western Minnow (Galaxias occidentalis) |
| Native Waterlily (Ottelia ovalifolia) | Kidney Grass (Dichondra repens) | Old Man’s Beard (Clematis linearifolia) | Swan River Goby (Pseudogobius olorum) |
List of frogs you might see in your Perth garden:
- Motorbike Frog (Litoria moorei)
- Slender Tree Frog (Litoria adelaidensis)
- Western Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes dorsalis)
- Quacking Frog (Crinia georgiana)
- Moaning Frog (Heleioporous eyrie)
- Squelching Froglet (Crinia insignifera)
- Clicking Froglet (Crinia glauerti)
