|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frogs |
Everyone
likes frogs. As a nursery specializing in water
gardening, we get a lot of frog visitors. Some move on,
some decide to stay. Two species of frogs have taken up
permanent residence at our facilities.
Pacific Treefrogs (Hyla regilla) have made themselves
at home inside our tropical greenhouse & are often spotted hanging out in the
bromeliad flasks. Their pleasant (to our ears) trilling in March is a welcome
harbinger of spring.
The other species which has taken up residence here is
the Green Frog (Rana clamitans). This frog is more of a water-dweller than
the arboreal tree frog. Unfortunately, the Green Frog is an introduced species
to British Columbia and for this reason we must decline all requests for
tadpoles. We don't actively encourage R. clamitans to call our premises home, but
the mild temperament & modest size of Green Frogs seems to warrant a live & let
live attitude.
We also occasionally receive visits from Bullfrogs (Rana
catesbeiana), another introduced species to British Columbia. Due to their
voracious appetite & negative impact on our native species, any Bullfrogs found
on our premises are dispatched in a humane manner.
Bullfrogs are at least partially responsible for the decline
of the Red-Legged Frog (Rana aurora) in Metro Vancouver. The photos of the
Red-Legged Frog in the gallery below were taken by Petra Vicic in Port Alberni,
Vancouver Island.
|
|
|
 |
Treefrog on Sarracenia |
|
Insects are attracted to the nectar
secreted by the pitcher plant. The treefrog knows this. |
|
 |
Treefrog on the prowl |
|
A small spider has been spotted.
What follows next is not pretty, but is over quickly. |
|
 |
Treefrog on Neoregelia |
|
A group of Bromeliads provides a good spot for
hunting & a convenient source of water. |
|
 |
Treefrog on water lily |
|
Tropical water lilies are very fragrant &
attract insects. A good spot to await the arrival of lunch |
|
 |
Treefrog on Vriesea |
|
Tropical 'poison dart' frogs lay their eggs in the
water found inside bromeliads. |
|
 |
Male Green Frog |
|
This fellow exhibits the typical butter-yellow
throat & chest of the male Green Frog. |
|
 |
Female Green Frog |
|
Female Green Frogs have a white underside and
throat, often faintly mottled. |
|
 |
Red-Legged Frog |
|
The hind legs of this west coast species are a
translucent red colour on the underside. |
|
 |
Red-Legged Frog |
|
A blooming clump of Spatterdock attracts insects and
provides a hiding place as well. |
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)