Threatened with extinction thirty years ago due to a reduction in its natural habitat, the tree frog has made a complete comeback in Belgium, according to Natuurpunt.
The small amphibian is now thriving to an extent that could not have been imagined, says the nature conservation association.
Around the year 2000, the species was extinct in Wallonia. In Flanders, known populations were reduced to four residual groups with just 200 males at reproductive maturity.
Since then, thanks to targeted management and restoration of the aquatic and terrestrial habitat on Flemish soil, there has been a rapid and unprecedented revival in populations not only of the tree frog, but also of other species, Natuurpunt reports.
In Wallonia, work began on reintroducing the small frog in 2022. “At the beginning of this year, after several decades of absence, the characteristic call resounded in some Walloon nature reserves. If the species manages to establish itself, it is not unlikely that the same scenario as in Flanders will be repeated in the future,” the association says.
But beware, Natuurpunt warns, “tree frogs do not grow old: if reproduction fails several years in a row, the entire house of cards collapses.”
Ongoing habitat management, with an emphasis on ponds and pools, is therefore of great importance, as is the management of habitats not yet occupied, to allow for future settlement, it adds.
