Keeping track of numbers

JIM Kyval is one of the best friends a frog could have.
The Pakenham man is among a keen group of researchers scouring sites around the region as part of a biannual frog census for Melbourne Water and the Amphibian Research Centre.
Mr Kyval records the frogs’ calls and then reviews the sounds, categorising the various species.
His fascination with frogs was spawned by his son, who was studying them as part of a school project some years ago.
Mr Kyval has volunteered for the census again this year.
He was interested by the findings of the Ecology Partners survey which recorded the growling grass frog at 23 sites in the growth corridor area between Pakenham and Beaconsfield and at least 53 other sites.
It was heartening to know they were surviving even thriving in pockets of residential areas such as the wetlands at the Lakeside at Pakenham estate, he said.
“I’d say the population of frogs in the area has plummeted since the 1950s,” Mr Kyval said.
“Development can work to a frog’s advantage. But the loss of habitat and introduced species such as cats can have a terrible impact.”
The census will be held later this year.