This is the thirteenth cache in my (and now others) Chorus Cabinet Art Series. This series is placed to highlight the local artistic talent that Chorus has commissioned to brighten up their otherwise boring Public Utility Boxes, (PUBs).
This is another Public Utility Box painting which is designed and painted by Gynelle Blake. I became aware of this one by following Gynelle's Facebook page, but it didn't say where it was and it was only while going around the nearby round-a-bout earlier in the week that I discovered its location. There are a couple more of recent CCA's by this artist that I am aware of, one I know the location of, the other I don't. There is also a new player on the block named Sapphire Bristowe who has painted her first CCA opposite the A&P Showgrounds. Of course, by now we all know that P.U.Bs are out of bounds for placing caches, so to find this one from the communications box, project the final coordinates by going in the direction of 212 degrees for 150 metres. This will take you to an area some of you might recognise as being linked to a previous P.U.B. cache that has been archived.
The Green and Golden Bell Frog - Litoria aurea
The Green and Golden Bell Frog, Litoria aurea, is a magnificent looking frog and can often be mistaken for a garden ornament! In the late 1860s several consignments of these frogs were received from Sydney and released by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. There have been several attempts to establish populations of this species in the South Island, but it appears that the climatic conditions are not favourable and the species is restricted to the upper half of the North Island (north of Gisborne), therefore the one you see on this P.U.B. is a rare sight in the South Island. They occur around the same ponds as the Southern Bell Frog and may interbreed.
Description ~ these frogs are brilliantly coloured with an overall green appearance interspersed with gold or bronze coloured patches. There is a fold of skin (usually cream in colour) running from the eye along the side of the animal to its groin. This fold is bordered by a thin black line that continues over the head to the nostrils. The back of their thighs and groin area are bright blue and the belly is smooth and white. The skin is very smooth and there is only webbing on their hind feet. They have suckers for climbing on all toes and fingers. Males are smaller than the females with an average length of about 60 mm, whereas females can be larger than 90 mm.
Call ~ their deep nasal call has been described as a drawn out guttural four-part 'craaaaaaaaawk, craaawk, crok, crok, crok' and large choruses can sound like motorbikes from a distance.
Breeding ~ these frogs are commonly found perched on aquatic vegetation or fallen trees near breeding sites. The frogs prefer temporary ponds in full sunlight that are usually shallow and free of aquatic predators such as Mosquito fish. They are quite unusual in the frog world in that they like to bask in the sun and are active during the day. They breed during the summertime with the males calling from the water’s surface. Females may lay between three and ten thousand eggs in a floating gelatinous mat, which sinks after 6-12 hours. The eggs hatch into black tadpoles after about two days, and metamorphosis occurs about two months later.