While we were out collecting fire wood, we came across a bright little frog (or more accurately, a toadlet). My daughter found a bright red blob of a frog under a piece of wood on the ground, it was raining at the time which seemed to make the colour even more jewel like. I quickly took him into the humpy and tried to find out what kind of miracle he was. Eventually I decided to take a few photos and return him to his home (before he charged me with kidnaping).

It turns out he is a Red backed toadlet, a fairly common species in our area. I have never seen one before, but I’m glad to have met one now. They are a ground dwelling frog that takes advantage of the damp places in the bush preserved by having bark and debris laying on the ground. They spawn into muddy holes and the tadpoles are washed into puddles or waterways when it rains. They take two months to develop into frogs. Nature is indeed amazing.

These amazing little toadlets are not rare or endangered, but they do deserve to live undisturbed and respected. We will be leaving some damp, mulched areas near the dam in future. Places where these little frogs can lay their eggs uphill from the water and have the rain wash their babies into a water source that will hold for two months. We may get to see more of these little living rubies in the future.