African Wildlife and Environment Issue 72

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

A miniature bullfrog

hard work pays off. Each year the grassland seems to improve in condition, and new indigenous grassland plant species appear. It attracts a great number of bird species too, and although some interference is necessary (as with protecting our precious ‘baby’ Giant Bullfrogs), nature is left to create its own balance in this special part of Random Harvest. We feature interesting wildlife and indigenous plants at RandomHarvest inourmonthly e-newsletter. This and an archive of all previous newsletters is available on our website at www.randomharvest. co.za and can also be subscribed to, and received, by email. If you would like to learn more about the Giant Bullfrog, the Endangered Wildlife Trust has an interesting e-booklet on these fascinating creatures. This is the link: https://www.ewt.org.za/TAP/pdf/ Bullfrog%20booklet.pdf.

I didn’t think we would be lucky enough to see the babies leaving the dam. We nearly missed them as they dispersed into the long veld grass around the dam. Fortunately, Jeff’s keen eye meant that we were lucky enough to see the migration. And…oh my word! They were the cutest, perfect little miniature bullfrogs! It took two days for the young bullfrogs to leave the water, but they remained in the refuge of the grass around the dam. The first day ‘Big Daddy’ was there to protect them, and then, with his hard work over, he left. No sooner had he left than the herons arrived to feast on the babies. This I just couldn’t allow and had to appoint the ‘Protector of the Bullfrogs’, Yolam, who will be spending his days there, keeping the herons at bay until the babies have dispersed further afield. Believe it or not, this whole process took only eight days. I am sure we will see the odd Highveld Bullfrog around the grassland and in the nursery, but we’ll be waiting in anticipation for next summer’s entertainment, when they once again take over the Random Harvest Dam. We are fortunate to have the space at Random Harvest for a dam and for the surrounding grassland. I must emphasise that not all habitat is equal, and it must be maintained in urban and peri-urban areas. Weeding is an ongoing job here, and with the rate of alien plant invasion, it is all we can do to keep the grassland weed-free. But the

The dominant male bullfrog

Heather Balcomb Random Harvest www.rh.co.za

Tadpoles growing apace

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