30/10/2008 – Western Leopard Toad update;
The Leopard Toads bred in August with some breeding movement continuing until early October. The final results from the toad census were 847 toads saved and 149 roadkills, which works out at roughly one in every six toads recorded was dead.
Now, from late November to early December, the toadlet stock will emerge from the sites crossing roads and many other obstacles to seek out their foraging habitat.
These toadlets typically leave the site in mass, on a sunny morning (06H00 – 09H00), dispersing in every direction.
Unfortunately, based on my job specifications, I am not allowed to continue with the toad project until April of next year. I am thus looking for volunteers to assist in coordinating sites for me so we can support these toadlets when they move.
If you are interested reply to this email and I will contact you with further information. The sites are in the following areas:
Bergvliet
Frogmore Estate
Hazelwood Park, Sun Valley
Kirstenhof – Raapkraal Rd
Kirstenhof – Orange Rd
Dennendal
Steenberg
Soetvlei, Sweet Valley
Klein Wassenaar (Orchard Village)
Hout Bay
Kommetjie
Fish Hoek
Glen Cairn
Little Princess Vlei, Elfindale
Mark Day EXTENSION OFFICER Cape Peninsula Fire Protection Association / City of Cape Town Southern Nature Reserves
WLT Hotline: For any enquiries or information on toad movement, call me on 082 516 3602. Alternatively you can leave a message at Rondevlei Nature Reserve on 021 706 7533.
08/10/2008 – Western Leopard Toads
have started calling again in small numbers!!
Mark Day reports "It appears that the strange weather has upset more than just our October plans.
In Lakeside at the end of Rutter Road a small number of males were heard calling
from the 28th September until about the 2nd October.
They are currently calling at Rondevlei Nature Reserve and Die Oog in Bergvleit (Pelkalmy & Lakeview Rd).
These are not large numbers of toads so it is not reasonable to call out avolunteer party, but if you are interested, you can visit one of these areas to
investigate further for yourself. If you hear or know of any other breeding sites
where you have heard toads call over the last week we would like to know so
contact me in that regard. If breeding does take place then it may be the latest
documented record yet!
Stay tuned for further leopard toad related volunteer drives coming soon".
09/09/2008 – Big Momma becomes an accident statistic on the bummpy road to love.
photograph by Maya Beukes
Read what happened to Big Mamma.
September 2008 - These frogs were found at Clement Park, Muizenberg.
Cape Sand Frog in its scrape nest. Arum Lily Frog on a lily.
On a finger to show the size.
August 2008 - The Western Leopard Toad (WLT) hotline - call Mark Day on 082 516 3602 or at Rondevlei Nature Reserve on 021 706 7533.
Report any
movements, calling or sightings to Mark, he is the Conservation Committee
member co-ordinating all WLT census information.
He has forms which will
help capture data for reference studies at SANBI.
Print and use the forms below and read the information sheet as well.
|
Observation forms |
page 2 | Information sheet | page 1 |
June 2008 – Rhian Meats
submitted this record to SARCA (Southern African Reptile
Conservation Accessment) at SANBI (South African Biodiversity
Institute).
If you find a leopard toad please use some form of scale - a ruler, tape
measure, box of matches, camera lens cap, ball point pen, etc as close
to the frog as possible. This to aid the scientists who will evaluate
the submission.
photograph by Rhian Meats
Western Leopard Toad at Norfolk Park Suretha van Rooyen found this specimum in June 2008.
June 2008 – What have you done to save a Leopard Toad?
See below how easy it is to make your swimming pool toad friendly and most small creatures that can swim, will stand a chance of not drowning in your pool if they can get to the side.
Suzie has made simple floating toad savers which can also save all creatures from drowning should they fall into the swimming pool.
photograph by Suzie Jirachareomkul
Read how to make a "Leopard Toad Saver"
April 2008 – Alison Brown found this Leopard Toad on Eastlake Island, Marina da Gama.
photograph by Alison Brown
February 2008 – Rescued and relocated to the Kenilworth Race Course Nature Reserve.
photographs by Maya Beukes
This large female specimen (weighed 240grams) was found in a garden off Broad Road, Wynberg.
September 2007
A beautiful specimum - Notice how it has flattened itself, while being handled.
18/11/2006 - Leopard Toad in the Westlake Wetlands Walkway Garden.
This large male was found in Una's garden just 1,5 meters from the edge of the Main Road, Lakeside in the ground cover of of the Walkway Garden. It is about 100mm wide and longer head to tail. It was observed in the same place for 2 days.
24/08/2006 - The Leopard Toads are calling. They have been active from Monday 21/08/2006 in many areas around Zandvlei.
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Sue Harwood reported there was an orchastra in the northern regions of Uitsig Peninsula and Wildwood Island all day on 21/08/2006.
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Cherry Giljam reports they are going crazy around Park Island this year.
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they are calling from the Zandvlei Yacht Club basin area on 23/08/2006.
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John and Sandra Fowkes report they are active at the Rutter Road area.
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Una Hartley received reports from Eastlake in the Marina where they were calling.
Please report any sightings
and or callings to Kareemah Jacobs (Co ordinator) 084 744 2906 and the
Zandvlei Nature Reserve 021 701 7542, also Una Hartley 021 788
5854.
If you would like to help with a census call the above phone numbers.
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Take photos if you can,
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Note the time, place and weather conditions and
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anything you can observe about the toads behaviour, movements, activities.
Western Leopard Toads
Read Kareemah Jacobs's article about Western Leopard Toads
This information board is at Rutter Road,
Zandvlei - erected in October 2005.
Good practical advice for swimming pool owners, who have toads in their gardens.
If you have a swimming pool, place a ramp or pipes (with grip surface, like - flexible pool cleaning hoses, toads cant climb smooth surfaces), sloping from the pool surface to allow for toads to exit the pool. They often accidentally fall in, and if they cant get out they will drown. They are not adapted for long periods of swimming as is often misconceived by many people.
Also toads will often find their way onto peoples property but cant make their way out to their "breeding stations" as they cant climb smooth 2 meter high walls. If residents could open small culverts/ tunnels under the fence line or gates to allow them to enter and exit this would allow them to move relatively freely, and may be a key action to help save the species.
Leopard Toads are often in peoples gardens without them knowing as they bury themselves in the soil.
Residents are encouraged not to use pesticides / insecticides; the toads will gladly eradicate snails and other pests for you!
Kareemah Jacobs - Nature Conservation Corporation, Westlake Business Park. (June 2006)
Toad in the Hole
photograph by Robin Burnett
Robin Burnett says "I call it Toad in the Hole". In April 2006 this Leopard Toad was coming into the house regularly at night and climbing into my shoe.
Leopard Toad calling.....
I received a call from Avril Greening whose friend, Leslie Pool from Michel Walk in the Marina da Gama reported a toad in her toilet. It apparantly appeared and disappeared and she was unwilling to help this toad out of his or her situation, as she did not like to touch the creature.
As I was on my way out, I phoned a Zandvlei Trust member - Ally Ashwell also from Michel Walk, who delighted in having the opportunity of helping this unfortunate toad into more upmarket living quarters. She said it was a rather large toad, just sitting in the loo looking rather forlorn.
Ally's hearty laugh keeps echoeing my ears.
All's well that ends well. Una Hartley (April 2006)
Cape River Frog (Afrana fuscigula) note the different colours and patterns of the same species living in the same pool. They can grow to 120mm.
In July 2005 an article on the Fish Hoek, Leopard Toads was published in the Full Circle magazine. Written and photographed by Evanne Rothwell.
photograph by Evanne Rothwell
Read the article by Evanne Rothwell.
On the 29/06/2005 an article was published on the front page of The Argus newspaper, as an extract of the article writen by John Fowkes in the volume 2005/1 issue of our Zandvlei Newsletter.
photograph by Ian
Landsberg
Winnie Sass chancing her luck with "Romeo from Rutter Road", all have dared her kiss him and see if he "turns into the handsome prince".
His persistence is gaining
notoriety, as he has been at home in Winnie's house for a couple of
months now. He has been removed 8 times and relocated near the vlei, as
she has a number of cats and other members of her household are not
overly fond of frogs.
Once he was taken about 2 kms away to the Westlake River, and was back
under the bedside cabinet 2 days later. He has returned every time to
the same place under the bedside cabinet and has had to negociate a
closed garden door, then get into the house and find his way to the
bedroom with the bedside cabinet.
photograph by Una Hartley
A closer view of Romeo, Una Hartley describes him as a very dark Leopard Toad.
photograph by Una Hartley
The bedside cabinet moved forward to expose "Romeo" in his favourite place.
There have been many saucy remarks and ideas floated about when "Mr Romeo" is discussed by the single ladies. The story remains an intriguing and amusing anecdote of some of our local creatures and an interesting outcome to the story is still to play itself out.
Leopard Toad Census around Zandvlei and nearby areas in August 2004, conducted by the Nature Reserve staff and volunteer enthusiasts.
Kareemah Jacobs playing the call of a Leopard Toad, so that all may be familiar, when listening in the dark for the calls.
Kareemah giving instructions to the more than 40 volunteers, before forming into groups, with leaders to sample various predetermined sites around Zandvlei.
Una Hartley reports on 28 and 29 November 2003, that there are a
number of Western Leopard Toadlets migrating through the
residents properties alongside "Die Oog" in Bergvliet . She
rescued a few hundred from the swimming pools and relocated them. The
numbers were nothing like a few years ago, when literally hundreds of
thousands continuously swarmed for about 6 or 7 days.
Below is a picture from 3 November 2002, when Una recovered these
toads from drowning in the swimming pool. These are in an ice cream container.
They can grow to 140mm in body length.
See the size in relation to a thumb nail, they are mobile and very active.
On the night of 4 September 2003, Clifford Dorse organised groups of interested people to try and find pockets of the Western Leopard Toads around Zandvlei.
Juvenile Western Leopard toads – Bufo pantherinus – A Red Data species
Visit Charles Oertel's web site for an account of the groups
experience during the Western Leopard Toad count in the Westlake
Wetlands. We counted 41 toads says Charles and I still do not know the
difference between a frog and a toad.
The pictures and sound-clips give an interesting account of what took
place. http://RoadToNature.org/
(click on the "Counting Toads" box on the right).
