African Bullfrog in my garden?

[kenderdine]

Hi from South Africa - I see from this forum that most of you ask questions about your pet frogs, but I would like to know about the possibility of a wild African Bullfrog in my garden. Is there anyone out there from South Africa who has Bullfrogs on their garden?

I only hear the noise at night, and the sound is quite like the call on the soundbyte on this website, but it is a much louder, and rasping sort of noise - it sounds like a huge creature!

It is Summer here now, and I presume the breeding season. We have had a lot of rain, and the noise comes from a damp area near a downpipe. There is a large rock and I think he is under there, I have searched the site but cannot find him. Our garden is about 1 km. from the nearest river - could it be a Bullfrog, or do they only live in real wetland areas? Our garden is normally fairly dry. Do they ever move about during the daytime? I so badly want to positively identify the noise.

[John]

Where in South Africa are you? These frogs are generally not found in people's gardens. They are generally found where water accumulates in shallow pools at or near a larger water body like a lake. The sound they make is not very loud, it's just very deep. And it shouldn't sound rasping at all. I think it more likely there's some other kind of frog in your garden. It's rare for them to breed this late in the season unless you haven't had rain in October/November. If you could make a recording of the noise we would be able to tell if it definitely is a bullfrog or not.

[kenderdine]

Thank you for your thoughts. I live about 16 km. from the centre of Johannesburg, in a suburb called Rivonia, Sandton. There are a few known, small wetland areas around Johannesburg that support Bullfrogs, but most of these are being threatened by the inevitable development that is going on.

Are there any other sound recordings of different frog species on Frog Forum? If there are, I would be grateful for a link to them. The mystery continues, but I am enjoying my nameless frog - he was calling as I typed my first post last night.!

[John]

Recordings of South African frogs are hard to come by outside of South Africa, I'm afraid. However there are several books with accompanying CDs that should be available to you in SA. Vincent Carruthers recently published a book called "South Africa, Frogs and Frogging", which has a CD of the calls of 20 species - a good place to start.

[Buck Rogers]

Hi and sorry for only replying 3 months later. Where abouts are you situated in Rivonia? I highly doubt it is a bullfrog, there have been very few Bullfrog sightings in Rivonia as it has become too industrial and there is no longer the ideal wet lands to support them. You say it is near a down pipe so I can put my money comfortably on it being either a red toad (Schismaderma carens), olive toad (Bufo garmani ) or guttereal toad (Bufo gutturalis) all species are extremly common in our suburban gardens.

Does the sound have a bit of a croak to it? Sorry hard to explain but a bullfrogs call is a deep bellow and you would usually not really notice it as a frog and more of a sick cow than a frog.

[kenderdine]

Hi, and thank you so much for your reply - I think that you have solved my query!

Since my first post, I have decided that the call I hear is definitely not that of a Bullfrog. I have just 'googled' the 3 Toad varities you mentioned, and found a sound clip for the Guttural Toad, and that is EXACTLY what this one in my garden sounds like - it is a loud, hollow, rattling, popping sound.

A website I found in Cape Town, calls it an 'aggressive invader' and one to get rid of?? I am quite distressed to have one living here! I have lived in Rietfontein Road, Rivonia since 1966 - have always had what I call 'ordinary little, green/brown garden frogs hopping about and calling on Summer evenings, HOWEVER, this Summer there have been no frogs at all. I put it down to the many Hadedas that feed here, and thought they had eaten all the froglets, but could it be that this wretched Toad has eliminated them??

Thanks again for you input.

[Buck Rogers]

An aggressive invader?!? Please can you give me that websites address because I want to check on that and give them some hell!!! They are the most common frog in South Africa and anything but an invader.

But you are correct in saying that there were less this year than before, this has been a concern for many people locally (in South Africa) and internationally as many frog species are threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction, pollution, and chytrid fungus. In South Africa we are - as far as research show - not at a threat of chytrid fungus though we do have many species which are threatened by habitat destruction.

We in Bryanston and last year there were many males calling but this season it was very quiet, there are a number of factors that can contribute to this but habitat destruction is a major concern.

[kenderdine]

Thanks for the response. I have sent you a PM with the details of the Cape Town website that has an article titled "Help prevent the spread of an aggressive invader, the Guttural Toad".

In fairness to Cape Town, I think that in their article, they mean that the Guttural Toad has only recently invaded the Constantia area in the Cape, and now poses a threat to their local species of frogs and toads.

I would still like to know if this species is a good thing to have in my garden or not? They sound a bit scary to me!

[tgampper]

I have an interest in South African amphibians and your discussion on the guttural toad has caught my eye. I can understand the position of the City of Cape Town on wanting to control a species with the capability of endangering some very unique frogs of the fynbos region. Evidently the toad has successfully invaded Mauritius and Reunion and may very well set up home in the western Cape. I read on the Zandvlei Trust web site that they have a plan to wipe out the toad. This reminds me of the troubles in Australia with the cane toad. Also, isn't Constantia near the Kenilworth Race Course? That is one of the last remaining homes of the critically endangered Micro Frog. I think a call to the authorities would be in order.

Buck: I really enjoyed your photos on the African Bullfrog! Thanks.

[kenderdine]

<a href="http://s526.photobucket.com/albums/c...1403100001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i526.photobucket.com/albums/c...1403100001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

My cat has just brought this frog into the kitchen, please could someone identify it?!

[Kurt]

I am leaning towards one of the ridged frogs, it's most likely Ptychadena uzungwensis (Loveridge, 1932).

[Buck Rogers]

Striped Stream Forg (Strongylopus fasciatus) part of the Ranidae family.
Sorry Kurt don't want to be a smart *** know it all

Buck: I really enjoyed your photos on the African Bullfrog! Thanks.

Only a pleasure to help out where I can

[Kurt]

Its ok. If you have a better ID, whom am I to complain? Unfortunately, I found a picture of Strongylopus fasciatus to deny your ID. Strongylopus fasciatus is a striped frog, hence the species name - fasciatus, which means striped. This frog is spotted and at first I thought it was one of the leopard frogs, until I notice the poster's country. Opening Alan Channing's "Amphibians of Central and Southern Africa" I found two frogs that looked very much like the frog pictured, but only one was found in the range of the poster. That frog is Ptychadena uzungwensis. Sorry, but Strongylopus fasciatus just doesn't look like the poster's frog at all.

[kenderdine]

Hi, the frog photo I posted was taken under electric light at night, and does not really show clearly that it was a very definite, beautiful strong green colour. The most striking feature about this frog was the single line down its back from nose to tail. It had a very smooth skin with no raised bumps or ridges. It was 3 inches long.

[Kurt]

I still think it is Ptychadena uzungwensis.

[Buck Rogers]

I'll check my books tonight and verify the pic, I really don't mind eating humble pie

I only know it by the common name which is Striped Stream Frog, we saw quite a few of them this season. But will 100% verify the ID tonight.

[Buck Rogers]

Hi all, sorry for the late reply. The frog in the pic is Afrana Angolensis or Common River Frog, the distribution falls into the Gauteng area.

kenderdine- did you hear it calling at night? According to my books the call should sound like "kikikikik- kereooooow". I have never heard this call for such a common species.

[Kurt]

I am still standing by my ID of Ptychadena uzungwensis. Afrana angolensis is closer, but I don't think it's the right ID.

[kenderdine]

A few days ago I bought myself a copy of 'A Complete Guide to the Frogs of Southern Africa' - 2009 - by Louis du Preez and Vincent Carruthers, which includes a CD of frog calls.

Firstly, I can now confirm that the frog call I first posted about, is definitely that of a Guttural Toad, who is living under a rock right next to the house, and calls frequently.

Now to the photo of the green frog that I posted. There is a picture on page 326 of Ptychadena Uzungwensis, and on pages 394/396 of Amieta Angolensis. I agree that they both look like my frog, but to my untrained eye, I think it is Amieta Angolensis, the Common River Frog, because the location and the size of frog seem to fit better. I have not heard this one call, but now that I have the CD, will be listening out for it.

Many thanks to Frog Forum for all the help - I am now a Frog Fan, and hope to learn lots more!

[John]

Thanks to Darryn, Terry and Kurt. We'd have been lost without them.