Phil the Frogfather

08/09/2026

What are your thoughts on aquariums?

I recently visited the aquarium in Osaka which is famous for its stunning 9-metre-deep central Pacific Ocean tank, it is one of the rare places globally where you can view majestic whale sharks up close.

I wasn't expecting to see a whale shark in one of the displays I have to be honest, I always imagined I'd be on the west coast of Australia or in the Philippines or somewhere the first time I laid eyes on a live one and for it to be wild!

Same for the Mola Mola otherwise known as the Sunfish.

Although it pained me to see something so huge in captivity, I understand the importance of aquariums for educational purposes. My old job in the UK was at the marine aquarium of World Museum Liverpool.

Let me know your thoughts on aquariums and their usefulness in education in the comments below 👇

08/09/2026

Blissfull moments on Flinders Reef 😍 🐢

Let’s stay connected everywhere! 📱 Beyond Facebook, I’m now posting on Instagram (wildlife images & videos) and sharing hilarious, quick-scroll videos on TikTok.

Hit those links or just type in "phil the frogfather" to follow along so you never miss a beat—I can’t wait to chat with you in the comments and see your reactions to some of the wild videos I'll be posting!

03/09/2026

Micro Frog Friday! 🐸

Check out the Tapping Nursery Frog (Cophixalus aenigma).

They are no bigger than a finger nail when fully grown - 2 - 2.5cm and forgo the need for free standing water to breed in, instead laying eggs in leaflitter or under other debris like rocks and logs!

Fascinating!

I still remember that cold wet night on the mountain top on our hands and knees trying to locate these ridiculously small frogs! Patience in the field usually pays off. 🙏

Photographed in the wet season of 2016.

**pingFNQLD **pingcairns

30/08/2026

Fantastic to be back in the ocean this weekend scuba diving at our local - Gold Coast Seaway.

We just missed the 10 meter visibility conditions reported a few days earlier but Sat & Sun was still around 8 metres and nice and blue. 😎

We got some monster Queensland Groupers, Green Sea Turtles, Lionfish and a bunch of mullet, diamond fish, tangs etc. 🐟🐢

28/08/2026

A little video diary detailing a day spent chasing the introduced pest species - American Bullfrogs around Kyoto, Japan (bloopers left in for entertainment purposes) 😆🐸😆

**petofauna

28/08/2026

Chasing American Bullfrogs in Japan! 🇯🇵🐸 Exploring the disastrous history of this 1918 invasive species introduction (with plenty of bloopers left in for your entertainment) ❌🦖🤣

**pingjapan

28/08/2026

Fabulous Frog Friday! 🐸

Two species of frog I photographed towards the end of my trip to Japan:

1) Kajika Frog (Buergeria buergeri). I took this safety shot just before my camera battery died, it was the last h**p of the trip!

2) Tago’s Brown Frogs (Rana tagoi) or possibly the smaller Dwarf Brown Frog (Rana kyoto) endemic to Japan.

Researchers K. Eto, M. Matsui, and T. Sugahara separated it from the small form lineage of Rana tagoi in 2022. Apparently without seeing their eggs and nuptial pads during the breeding season, they are hard to distinguish by photographs alone in summer when neither of those distinguishing features are available.

**ping **pinginjapan **petofaunajapan

27/08/2026

I was loving the Amazonian freshwater fish display yesterday in the Osaka Aquarium.

Collossomas, Red Piranha, Redtail Catfish, and my favourite... The Arowana - known for their explosive jumping ability taking out all kinds of insects and animals that crawl along the rainforest branches and venture too close to the surface of the water!

Send a message to learn more

26/08/2026

Just in time! I managed to get some shots of the monster 12-15cm adult American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) in Japan on my last night!

Earlier in the trip I couldn't get anywhere near the huge adults around the lakes & ponds in Kyoto they were far too skittish!

The Lotus pond near the bamboo forest where I seen the first ones calling on day one saved the day 🙏

There can't be many people on earth who would spend their last day & night in Japan doing this! 🤔🐸😆

25/08/2026

The Japanese Common Toad (Bufo japonicus).

This juvenile was photographed a few nights ago in the mountains. I was hoping to see an adult but I only got to see a preserved one at the Hanzaki Research Institute.