The Frog Census?

Residents of Melbourne, Australia, are leaping to the aid of the city's frog census.

The western Australian city uses the census to map the distribution of amphibian species as a measure of the health of rivers, creeks and wetlands -- and as a tool for developing environment and water policy. Because the census is done via a log of frog calls, volunteer frog finders are hanging out at local watering holes, armed with digital recorders.

The census was launched Sunday at the city's Werribee Zoo as part of World Animal Day.

Sixteen species of frog – from the common froglet to the large growling grass frog -- live in the Melbourne region. So far, more than 3,400 frog recordings have been submitted to Melbourne Water, according to Australia's The Age newspaper -- and it sounds like Melburnians are enjoying the croakfest.

"I just thought that they went croak," volunteer Karen Hollis told the Maribyrnong Leader newspaper. "[But] there’s one that sounds like a bird, and the pobblebonk just sort of goes ‘bonk, bonk, bonk,' and the common eastern froglet just sounds like a cricket." (To hear the growling grass frog, click here.)

Melbourne Water’s manager of waterways Chris Chesterfield told The Brisbane Times newspaper, "Frogs are an important part of the ecosystem. They are an animal that appeal to people and they are an indicator of the health of systems."

All the more reason for Melburnians to hop to it.

Photo courtesy dcysurfer via Flickr.