Did you know that different frog species can be found in a variety of habitats – from the depths of the
rainforest to home garden’s in the city. The common shrub frog is an endemic species (existing only in
Sri Lanka) spread across a variety of habitats in the wet zone, southwest of the island.
Why not try tracking and recording this and other frog species in your area? Here are some key
indicators to help you identify
different frog species...
Calls:
Frogs communicate with one another through calling. No two frogs have the same call or use the same sound frequency. The common shrub frog makes a rapid “krike krike krike” sounding call that can be heard in the evenings after 6 p.m.
Habitats:
Different frogs thrive best in
different habitats. Some frogs are exclusive to only one type of habitat whereas others can be found in many.
The common shrub frog can be identified in many habitat types including tea plantations,
marshland, course grasses,
bamboo, secondary forest and even your home garden.
Heights:
Different types of frog can be found in the same habitat but at different heights. Often the frog’s appearance can give some indication as to where it lives as they
camouflage themselves to their
environment to avoid predators.
Frogs that live on tree bark for
example are usually brown coloured, often with rough looking skin that imitates the texture of the bark!
Look out for the brown/grey coloured
common shrub frog in habitats 0.5m – 2m above floor level.
Let’s think...
You may not realise how
important a healthy frog population is but look at it like this...
As a feeder mostly on insects, frogs play an important role in
controlling insect numbers. They are essential in tackling insect spread diseases for example dengue fever!
If we fail to protect out native frog species we are, if nothing else, doing ourselves no favours.
Discover more about Sri Lanka’s endangered animals on our blog:
http://srilankawildthing.blogspot.com |
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