FROGGING  

Game walks of a different kind

At certain times of the year, Amakhosi invites its guests to discover the fascinating world of amphibians. At night time, our qualified guides will take you deep into the bush and let you marvel at the spectrum of colours and the loud calling of mating frogs.

- guest report -
We were profoundly affected by our bush experiences. As it turned out, we were  surrounded by passionate people; Alwyn, the frog expert, showed all the symptoms of a fanatic. We drove under a starlit sky, deeper and deeper into the bush until we stopped at a waterhole and incidentally chased away a drinking rhino.

I started wondering if I had the nerve for this kind of nocturnal exploration. Alwyn switched off the lights of the open air Land Rover, turned on his headlamp and headed off towards the muddy water...

‘Surely everything's under control,' I told myself as I followed him in the dark. The others had stayed behind at the lodge, preferring a sundowner to mud.
“Yes, we've got a little Tinker Reed Frog with us tonight. I can hear two rapid staccato taps, over there, between those reeds,” whispered Alwyn and slowly we ‘slop-slopped' closer, the mud sucking our boots. And there it was, a tiny 3 mm bright yellow frog loudly calling for his mate. “How do you know who's who?” I asked. “They might change colour, but each species has its own distinct call.” I counted at least 12 different sounds, so we were well surrounded. “When you catch one, place it gently in the plastic bag,” I heard as I stretched out my hand. When in water a frog breathes largely through its skin, so touching it is quite hazardous.” Totally entranced by their extravagant colours and designs, their big eyes and toe pads, I almost left the roaring sounds of the bush behind me, together with my fear for water spiders.

Exhilarated I listened to more frogs at a distant waterhole. They called out loud like a marching army. I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the experience. My frogging safari was topped off with the sight of a gorgeous Red-legged Cassina just before we drove back to the lodge to catch up on dinner.


Why Frogging is Seasonal?

Frogs breed in temporary rain pans, where the eggs develop quicker and where there are fewer predators such as herons. As frogs are cold blooded, they need heat. So, they burrow deep down in the mud, waiting sometimes for up to 9 months before they come out. During their ‘hibernation' they slow their heartbeat down to 2-3 beats per minute, staying barely alive. And then, the rain comes and with it, the explosion of life and yummy insects. November-
March is ‘show time'. This is when I take our more adventurous guests out on a nocturnal game walk to discover the fascinating world of amphibians.