A peculiar frog, superficially resembles a small turtle with its shell. If you hear or see many frogs in an urban area, it means the local environment is healthy.
Threats: Habitat loss and predation by cats and foxes
Will they visit?: The Turtle Frog has a very specific habitat and rarely visit home gardens
Natural Distribution: Widespread across the South West and Perth region
Turtle Frog – (C) Joe Porter
Turtle Frog – (C) Kit Prendergast
Turtle Frog – (C) Ry Beaver
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Buried in soft sands, under logs, rocks, and termite mounds
Diet: Termites
Water: Moist soils
ReWild Benefit: Pest control and an environmental indicator
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
Turtle frogs live in underground burrows over a meter deep. They venture out into the open after recent rains in search of food and can find their way into gardens. Turtle frogs will burrow into sandy soils under fallen logs, large rocks, under leaf litter, or in the shade of dense shrubs and ground cover.
Novel Shelter
Not required.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
Turtle frogs only eat termites.
Providing sources of water
Turtle frogs do not have a tadpole stage. Eggs are laid in a burrow and young frogs emerge full formed. They are a ground dwelling frog and cannot climb well. They are at risk of falling into frog ponds and drowning. Partly submerge a large rock with a gradual incline at the edge of a pond. This will provide a Turtle frog an easy escape if they fall in.
ReWild Benefit
This very peculiar frog superficially resembles a small turtle and have a deep ‘croak’ call. Frogs and their tadpoles are sensitive critters. Our native frogs are environmental indicators. If you hear or see many frogs in an urban area, it means the local environment is healthy with good ecological function. If you have frogs in the garden you can record their call via Frog ID to help scientists monitor their population.
