Q: I found a green tree frog on my window on the way to work yesterday morning. Assuming that windows aren't their natural habitat, what kind of things should I do to encourage them to my garden?
I've also spotted a green tree snake and would like to encourage it to stay around too. Brad – Runcorn
A: The Green Tree Frog is probably the most common frog found in Australia, and a beautiful creature it is too.
Its natural habitat, as the name implies, is trees and shrubs where they blend in beautifully; or rocky crevices, and cool and damp places. They have adapted to human habitation and are often found in shower rooms, bathrooms, toilet bowls … and in your case, a window! They do, however, need a source of water for reproduction. A pond in your garden would certainly help, and vegetation that is thick and shady will help their cause too.
The Green Tree Snake is said to be one of only two ‘tree’ snakes found in Australia. Again … ain’t it a beautiful creature? It is a ‘non-venomous’ snake, is diurnal (day-time) in its habits and prefers dense trees and shrubs, and again, seems to have adapted to human habitation. What do they eat? Insects, birds’ eggs, small reptiles, small frogs …..
For you to have found BOTH these ‘animals’ in your yard … you must already have their preferred habitat at home. Maybe just add a pond … and that will keep both species happy.
Green tree frogs are fantastic enchanting creatures. I would like to point out though before you decide to adopt them into your yard that they can make a lot of noise long into the night. I don't have any pets at the moment and I rarely use chemicals in the garden. This along with the well maintained pools that are a stones throw away I guess make my backyard an ideal spot for the blighters. Not so long ago I had a dozen of them scattered around with the males croaking away calling the larger females for hours. Luckily this only happens after seasonal rain. Although the sound 6 or so small voice boxes can pump out would challenge any modern day sound system!