The large Western Spotted Frog prefer to stay near the ground. 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 Western Spotted Frog will visit home gardens located near wetlands
Natural Distribution: Common and widespread across the South West and Perth region
Spotted Burrowing Frog – (C) Georgina Steytler
Western Spotted Frog – (C) Jason Pitman
Western Spotted Frog – (C) Joe Porter
Habitat at a Glance
See Habitat Guide for more detail
Shelter: Damplands, leaf litter, logs, and rock crevices
Diet: Invertebrates
Water: Shallow water containers and frog ponds
ReWild Benefit: Pest control and an environmental indicator
Habitat Guide - Shelter
Natural Shelter
Western Spotted Frogs live on the ground and prefer sandy soils. They venture into gardens with thick leaf litter, dampland areas, fallen logs, and dense shrubs. Western Spotted Frogs rarely reside in a home garden and will be traversing through in search of food. Plenty of mulch around the garden will help keep the area cool and moist in summer.
Novel Shelter
Not required.
Habitat Guide - Food and Water
Providing natural sources of food
Western Spotted Frogs eat invertebrates including insects, spiders, worms, and snails. A dampland, frog pond, and an array of native shrubs and groundcovers will attract invertebrates to the garden.
Providing sources of water
Western Spotted Frogs are known to visit frog ponds, but do not breed in them. They lay their eggs in burrows on the banks of wetlands and creeks. Flooding waters fill the burrows and the tadpoles leave the burrow for the water.
Western Spotted Frogs are ground dwelling frogs 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 Western Spotted Frog an easy escape if they fall in.
ReWild Benefits
Their calls are frequent ‘coo’ ‘coo’ sound. 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. Frogs are critical for the environment as they help to control many pest species and provide food for other animals such as birds. If you have frogs in the garden you can record their call via Frog ID to help scientists monitor their population.
