Frogs surprised by Santa

"WAAAAHHH WAAHH WAH, croak, croak, croak!" The call of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog of Sydney Olympic Park is a welcome sound during summer. An early and special Christmas present of 6 fish-proof ponds is sure to keep them singing!

A fish lacking in Christmas spirit

Santa knows that bell frog survival is largely dependent on avoiding being eaten by other animals. Unfortunately, in some wetlands of Sydney Olympic Park there lurks a horde of tiny hungry fish with a bad reputation for munching down on frog eggs and tadpoles - the so-called mosquitofish - Gambusia holbrooki. Originally introduced to Australia in a misguided and unsuccessful attempt to control mosquitoes, this fish is now a serious problem in many wetlands.

Gambusia are incredibly adaptable and only need a few millimetres of water to be able to move between wetlands. They are tolerant of a wide range of temperatures and water quality, breed rapidly and have a voracious appetite, having a devastating impact on many native species.

A frog’s Christmas wish

To have a home free of Gambusia is top of the bell frog’s Christmas list. To this end, Santa started organising the delivery and installation of 6 cattle troughs to Narawang Wetland in November. The 6 ponds have been clustered together and linked so frogs can easily move from one to another without touching the ground. These new ponds are a powerful tool in the fight against gambusia and are the second cluster to be installed in this wetland. Being above ground and unfloodable, the design eliminates the risk of any uninvited Christmas guests. 
These ponds are exciting news for frogs and having Santa deliver them a little early means they can be put to immediate good use by inviting all their friends over for a huge (fish free) pool party!