Goodbye to the ARC in Coburg

It was the passion for frogs of Gerry Marantelli that led him to establish the Amphibian Research Centre as a "backyard business". It steadily grew to occupy several garages and sheds and eventually the whole house and a second property. Prior to the ARC's move to larger and more suitable premises at the wetlands in Werribee, we conducted a virtual tour of the good ol' ARC in Coburg.

The entrance

Few people realised that this anonymous dwelling in one of the side streets in North Coburg held the largest collection of amphibians in Australia. Of course, to those who look closely, there are a few hints (apart from the sign). There's a frog welcome mat and a fridge where people can deposit frogs!

+ 62 kb The inconspicuous entrance to the Amphibian Research Centre in Coburg.

+ 31 kb Banana box frogs may be left at the door.

The presentation room

The presentation room also serves as the lobby. The frogs in this room can be packed up and taken away for public education and media activities. The same frogs are used so that they cannot catch a disease and then spread it to the frogs in the main part of the research facility.

+ 43 kb The presentation room, a visitor's first stop on a tour of the ARC in Coburg.

+ 46 kb Erica the growling grass frog, featured in more than a dozen newspaper articles, resides in the presentation room.

The temperate room

As you enter the temperate room, you confront shelves that are stacked to the ceiling and an indoor swimming pool. A great deal of information regarding the life of frogs has been uncovered in this room. Of particular interest is the shelves of small containers - separate containers mean that we can carefully monitor (or control) the conditions of individual frogs and see what difference it makes. Several studies of the chytrid fungus have been undertaken using this equipment - and cures for individual frogs have been developed.

+ 43 kb The south end of the temperate room.

+ 56 kb The disease-study shelves of the temperate room.

+ 52 kb Each disease-study container contains one frog and is completely isolated from the others.

+ 48 kb The corroboree frogs that are used for public education are kept cool in a modified fridge.

+ 39 kb A view to the north end of the temperate room, featuring the mass-breeding pool.

+ 46 kb Frog containers in the temperate room of Coburg's ARC.

+ 38 kb The enclosure in which the first-ever breeding-in-captivity of endangered spotted tree frogs (Litoria spenceri) took place.

+ 34 kb Rain cycles and daylight are artificially controlled in the temperate room.

+ 28 kb The mass-breeding pool takes up a lot of space in Coburg's ARC.

+ 47 kb You can usually see hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles in the mass-breeding pool.

Tadpole shelves

How could anyone possibly study frogs without studying tadpoles? Water circulates through the tanks but does not mix between the tanks. Partly this eliminates the chance of disease spreading but it is also because tadpoles release a chemical into the water that will slow the growth of other tadpoles! (That's why a lot of tadpoles in a bucket will grow slower than just a few tadpoles - for maximum growth rate, tadpoles need about 20 litres of water each).

+ 44 kb The tadpole tanks and their intricate plumbing.

+ 43 kb Each tadpole tank contains only tadpoles from a single location.

The tropical room and the Lost Frogs' Home

It's hot in here. Frogs from the tropical areas of Australia are studied here including several species of tree frog that are popular as pets. The Lost Frogs' Home cares for frogs that have been accidentally transported to Victoria in groceries (often banana boxes) or in nursery plants. You can find out more about the LFH elsewhere on the frogs.org.au site.

+ 43 kb The tropical room houses frogs from north Queensland and central Australia.

+ 48 kb Accidentally transported frogs are kept in quarantine in the Lost Frogs' Home for a couple of months before being adopted.

+ 57 kb The Lost Frogs' Home.

+ 52 kb Containers of frogs that have been brought to the ARC as Lost Frogs.

The Insect Research Centre?

A lot of time and effort is spent with crickets at the Amphibian Research Centre. Why? Because we need lots and lots of them to feed all the frogs. We also raise some much needed funds by delivering live crickets to other people to feed their pets. You can order crickets online in the ARCade.

+ 37 kb The cricket-breeding room is housed in a shipping container.

+ 41 kb Strict quarantine applies in the cricket room - even your shoes must be changed.

+ 42 kb A wall of crickets. This is a noisy place to stand.

+ 43 kb A peek into a cricket bucket. Can you see the crickets?

+ 19 kb Something that you will see in every room at the Amphibian Research Centre - a box of disposable gloves.

+ 43 kb Food preparation for hungry crickets.

+ 37 kb Cardboard separators, designed for transporting fruit, are used at the ARC for raising crickets.

+ 38 kb A glimpse into the storage room, featuring mailing tubes for cricket deliveries.

The workshop

Plumbers and glaziers don't come cheap so most of the construction is done on site. Our workshop in Coburg is far too small.

+ 54 kb Pipes for plumbing are a common sight at the Research Centre.

+ 54 kb Work bench in the construction area. And more gloves.

Please come again

Thank you for your attention during this tour of the Amphibian Research Centre. Please disembark in an orderly manner.