Reptiles and frogs

Eastern long-necked turtle

Scientific name: Chelodina longicollis

The eastern long-neck turtle:

has a 25cm long shell
varies in colour from light to dark brown to black.

This turtle is a protected species. In Boroondara, they are vulnerable. You must not take them from the wild.

Eastern Long-Necked Turtle. Image by Ian Moodie.

You can find the turtle in:

swamps
billabongs
slow-moving creeks and rivers
Willsmere Park
Koonung Creek Reserve.

Their neck is almost equal in length to their body. They move slowly and travel on land in the warmer months after rain. The turtle turns its head sideways and withdraws into its shell to avoid predators.

Eastern long-necked turtles are threatened by:

changes in water levels (for example, as a result of drought)
predators such as foxes, rakali (indigenous rodents) and ravens.

Marbled gecko

Scientific name: Christinus marmoratus

The Marbled gecko is a small, soft-bellied lizard that grows up to 70mm long.

They have large finger and toe pads, which spread out to grasp slippery or soft surfaces.

You can find marbled geckos:

in woodpiles, fallen timber or logs during the day
around external lights, feeding on insects at night.

They eat anything small enough to fit in their mouth.

Marbled Gecko. Image by Ian Moodie.

How to protect the marbled gecko

The Marbled gecko is endangered in Boroondara and rare in Melbourne.

To help protect them, you can:

avoid using chemical sprays and insecticides
keep cats in at night.

Southern brown tree frog

Scientific name: Litoria ewingii

The Southern brown tree frog is a common species found in Boroondara.

They are a small frog, growing to approximately 45mm long.

They have been seen in Balwyn, Camberwell, East Kew and Kew.

Southern Brown Tree Frog. Image by Ian Moodie.

You can find the frog in:

flooded grasslands or marshes
trees, shrubs, and rock or log crevices
under pot plants and woodpiles
gardens in suburban Melbourne.

They are agile climbers and jumpers and eat insects.

The adults have pale fawn, cream, orange or light brown sides.

The males make a 'creeee creee creee cree cree' call.

Striped marsh frog

Scientific name: Limnodynastes peronii

Striped marsh frogs are a large species of frog and grow to a length of 75mm.

They have:

distinctive, alternating light and dark stripes on their body
a pale, narrow stripe down the centre of their back.

They are endangered in Boroondara.

Striped Marsh Frog. Image by Ian Moodie.

You can find striped marsh frogs in:

wetland reeds and rushes in rainforests
open woodlands
farmland
urban wetlands.
Glass Creek in Hays Paddock
Willsmere Billabong
Back Creek in Camberwell.

They eat insects and smaller animals, including other frogs.

This frog reproduces from August to March. The male frogs have a 'tock-' or 'poc'-like call.

How to protect frogs

These frogs are threatened by:

predators, like cats and foxes
pollution in waterways.

You can help by:

keeping cats in at night
not polluting streets and waterways
adding a shallow pond with gently sloping banks to your garden
adding logs, rocks, leaf litter and shrubs to your garden for shade and protection
avoiding chemical sprays and insecticides
letting the frog move into your garden naturally.

More information

Watch our fantastic frogs webinar.