While on a recent visit to Zinave National Park, the Communications Team came across a little creature hanging out in the ablution block. Despite the initial fright that this amphibian gave Lise-Marie Greeff Villet, a long-time friend of Peace Parks Foundation, she soon became friends with the friendly grey foam-nest tree frog.
Wanting to find out why this frog was in the bathroom, she turned to Peace Parks’ very own bush professor, Hannes van Wyk, for some answers.
The Grey Foam-Nest Tree Frog
Peace Parks’ Aviation Manager and Chief Pilot, Hannes, is a font of knowledge, and whilst enjoying a magnificent sunset overlooking Massingir Dam in Limpopo National Park, he tells us a little bit more about the frog.
Known as the grey foam-nest tree frog, or the ‘ghost frog’ due to its often-white colouration, this little amphibian can be found hiding in moist areas such as a bathroom.
Its name is derived from the process that happens directly before the female lays her eggs. She deposits a substance into the water, which the males then whip into a foam with their back legs, and shortly after that, the eggs are deposited. Much like its name suggests, it is common for these frogs to be whitish-grey in colour. This adaptation takes place to help it regulate its body temperature when exposed to heat or the sun.
Hannes explains that in the early mornings and late evenings, when the temperature is cooler, these frogs will often turn brown or green in colour. As the sun comes up and the temperatures start to rise, the frog changes colour to avoid moisture loss, something that they are highly dependent upon for their survival.
The frog’s choice of location in the ablution block seemed questionable to the team at first, however, after hearing that these arboreal amphibians are so dependent on moisture for their survival, the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.
Have A Burning Conservation Question?
Don’t forget to send in your burning conservation questions for Hannes via any one of Peace Parks TV’s social media channels. He really is a font of knowledge when it comes to all things in the natural world, so when in doubt, #AskHannes!
