27/08/2014 Frogs in the Lachlan Catchment A little about me • Bachelor of Animal Science (Honours) CSU Wagga Wagga • PhD Environmental Science CSU Albury Wodonga • Research Assistant with CSU • Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers Carmen Amos – Charles Sturt University March 2013 How do you survey frogs? Diagram of surveys • Observation- Spotlighting at night • Call surveys • Sweeps during the day- Tadpoles • Vegetation surveys • Water quality Black Lines = Vegetation Transects • Hydrology Orange line = Prospective Spotlight transect Red Dots = Water Quality Measurements Green Line = Tadpole sweep area 1 27/08/2014 Perons tree frog Southern bell frog Terrestrial frogs & froglets Tree frogs Eastern sign-bearing froglet Spotted marsh frog Desert tree frog Eastern common froglet Photo credit: Jo Ocock Barking marsh frog Booroolong frog Sloanes froglet Green tree frog Burrowing frogs Booroolong frog Giant banjo frog Eastern banjo frog -Listed as endangered under NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1999 -Listed as endangered under the Environment Protections and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) (National) Photo credit: Adrian Clements -Medium size tree frog -40mm Males Booroolong frog -55mm Females Photo by Pavel German -Historically recorded in Central Tablelands, but now rare Breeding -Seasonal breeders- Spring early summer -Eggs laid in submerged rock crevices Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013). Litoria booroolongensis in Species Profile and Threats -Tadpoles develop in slow flowing connected or Database, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population Photo credit: Jo Ocock isolated pools and Communities, Canberra. Available from: http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat. Accessed Tue, 5 Mar 2013 14:05:08 Crucifix toad Sudells frog +1100. 2 27/08/2014 Southern Bell Frog Environmental factors High percentage -Listed as endangered in NSW Threatened aquatic vegetation Species Conservation act 1999 -Listed as threatened under the Environment • Vegetation Protections and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) (National) – Aquatic -Largest frog species in Australia – Semi-terrestrial -55-65mm Males – Fringing -60-104mm Females - Historically seen as high as Bathurst – Riparian Inundated terrestrial Photo credit: Jo Ocock Breeding -Females believed to start reproducing 2-3 years • Provides -Between November and March – Shelter -Usually follows local flooding/ rise in water levels -Vegetation important – Food -Tadpoles can take up to 12 months to complete metamorphosis Low aquatic and fringing vegetation Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (2013). Litoria raniformis in Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra. Available from: http://www.environment.gov.au/sprat. Accessed Tue, 5 Mar 2013 14:06:06 +1100 Environmental factors Environmental factors • Water quality – Good dissolved oxygen is • the key! Other aquatic organisms – Anything below 4mg/L – Predators • Gambusia holbrooki (Plague considered a low DO event minnow) – Extremes of water quality • Carp measurements (salinity, turbidity...etc) are bad Taking water quality Having no fish provides the most ideal frog breeding habitat Limnodynastes Tadpole Dead Carp Limnodynastes tadpole 3 27/08/2014 How to promote frogs in your dam How to promote frogs in your creek • If possible fence off from livestock • Consider environmental factors • Natural flow – Vegetation • Shelter- Rocks and vegetation – Water Quality – Predators • Exotic Willow species can use large amounts of water • Terrestrial shelter- woody – If possible it is good to replant with native species (Eg. debris, rocks, surrounding vegetation River Red Gums) http://www.csiro.au/Portals/Multimedia/CSIROpod/Saving-the-water-from-the-willow.aspx Lachlan River - Geramy Perons Tree Frog metamorph Booberoi Creek Frog benefits Frog Facts! • Frogs can live from a few •Important food chain link years to up to 30 years in •Tadpoles natural nutrient filter and can help control algae captivity •Eat insects • Some frogs will use burrows in the ground to amplify their call •Enjoyment- Frogs are cool! • Australia’s striped rocket frog can jump 55 times its body length • Darwin’s frogs breed their offspring in their vocal pouch (similar but different to the extinct gastric brooding frog) Eastern banjo frog Photo credit: Vanessa Cain Perons tree frog in my families dam 4 27/08/2014 Importance of agriculture in Questions freshwater ecology • Part of the water body mosaic • Provide refuge during Perons Tree frog drought • Southern Bell Frogs Spotted marsh frog use rice farms and Cuba dam and downstream irrigation canals Merrowie Creek- Lower Lachlan Giant Banjo frog Broad-palmed frog Thank you 5 .