A tale of two frogs

Abstract

There are only two species that are presently found living in the wild in the Maltese Islands: the Painted Frog (scientifically Discoglossus pictus) and Bedriaga’s Frog (scientifically Rana bedriagae also known as Pelophylax bedriagae). The Painted Frog is a true native and semi-fossilized bones of this species have been found in the superficial deposits at Ghar Dalam. However, Bedriaga’s Frog is a recent arrival that seems to have only managed to establish a breeding population in Gozo, sometime in the late 1990s. The Painted Frog is the only native living amphibian in the Maltese Islands; however, a few years ago, amateur herpetologist Arnold Sciberras, discovered a thriving population of a different species of frogs in the freshwater pool at Ta’ Sarraflu in Gozo; the Bedriaga’s Frog. The presence of Bedriaga’s Frog at Ta’ Sarraflu is worrying as it has a negative impact on the ecology and biota of the surrounding area.