Pool Frogs

[LaurieAG]

When I first saw these cute little Frogs in my pool I thought they were cane toads until I looked closer.

 

The pool pump had not been working for a while, the chlorinator has not been working and we have had quite a bit of rain lately so I let them be when I saw the tadpoles because they would eat any mosquito larvae eitherway.

 

They don't have the eye ridges of a toad, they are smooth skinned, although very dark they have a thin line of golden speckles along their sides and their shape is like the local green tree frogs.

 

I thought that maybe the residual salt in the pool is responsible for their dark color.

 

Anybody have any other ideas?

[Rade]

Hello. If you have the Gray Tree Frog, which are known to invade swimming pools, they change color to match background of their habitat. Looks like you have some dark tile in your pool, so this may explain their darker color. See this link:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_tree_frog

 

Gray Tree frogs have very distinctive toe pads used to climb. Take a look at a local field guide to frogs for your area to help with ID, hard to tell from the pics you posted.

[CraigD]

If you have the Gray Tree Frog, which are known to invade swimming pools, they change color to match background of their habitat.

But Laurie’s pool is in Australia, and the Gray Tree Frog ranges only through North America.

 

For reference, Laurie, what’re the lengths of the sides of the tiles in your picture?

[LaurieAG]

Thanks guys but I've found it, not too many photo's of the real ones around though.

 

The frog is Freycinet's Blue Frog originally discovered by Louis de Freycinet over 220 years ago. My father also has them hanging around his salt water (chlorinated) pool so they must be salt water resistant and that causes their 'blue' color.

 

The drawing here from the State Library of NSW, painted circa 1790's, is accurate to the frogs in my pool and those near my fathers pool.

 

http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=411901#

 

http://www.aqob.com.au/details.php?p_id=464&search=lee&searchid=38&seo=Australia's_Mysterious_Blue_Frogs

 

In 1791 a French expedition led by D’Entrecasteaux was charged with bringing back frogs as well as trying to locate the missing explorer, La Perouse. While they did not find La Perouse, the frog collection so impressed Napoleon that he sent a further two ships, La Geographe and Le Naturaliste, off to Australia to amass a collection of frogs and lizards that would enhance France’s renown in the natural world.

Nicholas Boudain led the expedition and it is names from that scientific search that are immortalised in Australian frog lore. Francois Peron named Peron’s tree frog, Louis de Freycinet named Freycinet’s frog and artist Charles Lazeur named Lazeur’s frog. The French also showed nous when faced with highly unusual species, such as the Giant walking frog.

 

It is not the Wallum Rocket Frog which has been misnamed as Freycinet's Frog in Project Noah.

 

http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17819011

 

D’Entrecasteaux's expedition didn't come anywhere near my place though (East Coast at red spot (the Gold Coast's new logo BTW))

[LaurieAG]

As the Australian Green Tree frog is incorrectly called Litoria caerulea (Bleach Blue), I called this one Litoria caeruleum (means the same) to distinguish it. The original could possibly be called Litoria aureum viridi (gold/green) and this one Litoria aureum cæruleum (gold/blue).

 

If future offspring could return to gold/blue in fresh water the change would be reversible although the internal salt content change may only allow successful breeding with other blue frogs in salty water due to osmosis.

 

http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/18385220

Edited February 24, 2013 by LaurieAG