It's Just A Dry Creek Bed.............?

It's Just A Dry Creek Bed.............?

The Western Rivers Carer invites you to look carefully at this photo (taken last week) of a dry creek bed which is located near Longreach, Queensland. It all appears at first glance, to be a lifeless and parched belly of a creek bed that would only support animal life when the waterhole has filled.

Think again.

This creek bed is currently home to a myriad of animals, and one of the most amazing creatures that can be found here comes in the form of a frog. In the deep, dark underground many frogs cocoon themselves into small burrows, and hibernate until rain falls. Once rain has fallen, they come out and make their fabulous croaking noises and quickly find themselves a mate. The tadpoles then quickly grow into frogs, and hopefully another cycle of breeding is completed before the temporary pool of water dries up, and the frog recedes back into the deep, dark underground again.

The hard luck story for these plucky survivors of the semi-arid zones is that they may become part of the food chain, as they are snapped up by plethora of other animals that are quickly drawn to this aquatic environment. The waterbirds that assemble can be a breathtaking sight to behold, and they too feed abundantly when waterholes and creeks are full.

All is not what it seems, and it behoves one to carefully consider the secrets of a dried waterhole or creek bed!