Peron's Tree Frog
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mallee frogs field guide Mallee CMA Region Mallee CMA RegionMCMA MCMA Wentworth REGION Wentworth REGION Mildura Mildura Merbein Merbein VICTORIA VICTORIA Irymple Irymple Cullulleraine Cullulleraine Red Cliffs Red Cliffs MCMA MCMA Wentworth REGION Wentworth REGION Mildura Mildura Merbein Merbein Robinvale VICTORIA Robinvale VICTORIA Irymple Irymple Cullulleraine Cullulleraine Red Cliffs Red Cliffs Robinvale Robinvale Ouyen Ouyen Manangatang Manangatang Underbool Underbool Nyah Nyah Murrayville Murrayville Ouyen Ouyen Lake Lake Tyrell Manangatang Tyrell Manangatang UnderboolSea Lake UnderbooSea Lakel Nyah Nyah Murrayville Murrayville Woomelang Woomelang Hopetoun Lake Hopetoun Lake Tyrell Tyrell Sea Lake Sea Lake Rainbow Rainbow Beulah Beulah Birchip Birchip Woomelang Woomelang Hopetoun Hopetoun Rainbow Rainbow Beulah Beulah Birchip Birchip Acknowledgements The Mallee Catchment Management Authority would like to acknowledge the support of the Mallee community who assisted in development Acknowledgementsof this field guide. The Mallee Catchment Management Authority would like to acknowledge the Photography support of the Mallee community who Photographs are acknowledgedassisted in development of this field guide. within the guide. Front Cover Photos Photography ISBN: 978-1-920777-20-3 Peter Robertson and Photographs are acknowledged Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd.within the guide. © Mallee CMA 2009 This publication is not for Litoria ewingii Front Cover Photos sale, copies are availableISBN: 978-1-920777-20-3 (Southern Brown Tree Frog)Peter Robertson and from the Mallee CMA. Neobatrachus sudelli Wildlife Profiles Pty Ltd. © Mallee CMA 2009 (Common Spadefoot Toad) This publication is not for Litoria raniformis Litoria ewingii sale, copies are available (Growling Grass Frog) (Southern Brown Tree Frog) from the Mallee CMA. Neobatrachus sudelli (Common Spadefoot Toad) Litoria raniformis (Growling Grass Frog) About the Mallee Catchment Management Authority The Mallee Catchment Management Authority (CMA) region encompasses the Victorian River Murray floodplain from the South Australian border to Nyah, and the arid Mallee country south to the Wimmera (see map, inside cover). Why a field guide for frogs? This field guide includes frogs that are known to occur in the Mallee region or on the edges of the region and contains information to help you identify a frog, tadpole or frog eggs. It is intended to be simple and straightforward to use and light enough to carry in your pocket. This field guide is one of a series developed by the Mallee CMA to assist monitoring activities within the Mallee region. Who is this guide for? This guide is to assist natural resource managers in monitoring frog populations at sites that have received environmental water. It is also for anyone interested in learning more about frogs in the Mallee. Technical Information on Frogs Frogs are amphibians (Class Amphibia - Order Salientia), which means they are dependent on water to complete their life cycle. Frogs and Toads There are no ‘true toads’ native to Australia. Many frogs are called toads because of their warty appearance and slow movement on land. In the Mallee there are three frogs like this: the Spadefoot Toad (Neobatrachus pictus), the Common Spadefoot Toad (Neobatrachus sudelli), and Bibron’s Toadlet (Pseudophryne bibronii). These are all frogs. Frogs in the Mallee Two frog families occur in the Mallee region - Hylidae (tree frogs), and Myobatrachidae (southern frogs). The major difference between these families is that tree frogs have distinct discs or pads on the tips of fingers and toes, while the tips of fingers and toes of thesouthern frogs are more or less straight. Only three species of tree frog are found in the Mallee region, compared with eight species of southern frog. Cont’d... 1 1 Southern Frogs (Myobatrachidae) Members of this family are only found in Australia. Most are burrowing or terrestrial. They are extremely diverse in their ecology, life cycles and morphology (physical characteristics). Tree Frogs (Hylidae) Many of these frogs have large finger and toe pads, which makes them excellent climbers. Australian tree frogs are more abundant in wetter northern and eastern parts. The eggs are thought to be laid in water and free-living aquatic tadpoles hatch quickly. How To Use This Guide Frogs are grouped in alphabetical order of scientific name, withtree frogs together and southern frogs together. Most frogs have several different common names, so although common names are given, it is best to use the scientific name to make sure you have the right frog! Each frog is described with words, symbols and a photo. Some of them also have photos of tadpoles and eggs. The symbols are used to describe the frog’s feet, eggs, and pupils. Wherever possible it is better to try and identify frogs by their call to minimise harm to the frog. Explanation of Symbols This guide uses symbols to help identify a frog - one for the shape of the pupil; one to describe the fingers and toes; and one to describe eggs. Symbols appear at the top of the page. Pupil Pupils are either vertical or horizontal, and one frog (Litoria peronii) has a cross-shaped pupil. Horizontal Vertical Cross-shaped 2 Fingers and Toes There are two families of Mallee Frogs. To decide which family they belong to, look if the toes have pads or not: Pads present on digits (fingers and toes) - Tree frogs, Family Hylidae Webbing on the feet is highly variable, from no webbing at all to full webbing. Tree frogs all have some webbing. Toe pads present, Toe pads present, not widerToe pads than digits.present, widerToe padsthan digits. present, Toe pads absent, wider than digits. not wider than no webbing.. digits. No pads present on digits - Southern frogs, Family Myobatrachidae Toe pads present, Toe pads present, TToeoe pads pads pr absent,esent, Toe pads present, Toe pads absent, wider than digits. Southernnot wider frogsthan range fromwiderno no w ebbingwebbingthan digits.. to full webbing.not wider Some than no webbing. southerndigits. frogs have fringing on their fingers and toes.digits. F Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, almost or fully minimal to half no webbing, webbed. Fwebbing. fringesfringes prpresent. F Toe pads present, Toe pads present, Toe pads absent, Toewider pads than absent, digits. no Toenot pads wider absent, than no Toe pads absent, Toe pads present, Toe pads present, Toe pads absent, webbing, fringes minimalno webbing to half . Toe pads absent, webbing.Toe pads absent, TToedigits.oe padspads absent,absent, Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, wider than digits. not wider than no webbing. present.no webbing, webbing. almostdigits. or fully minimal to half almost or fully minimal to half no webbing, webbed. webbing. wfringesebbed. present. webbing. fringes present. F ToeF pads absent, almost or fully Toe pads absent, webbed.Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, Toe pads absent, almostToe pads or absent,fully minimal to half no webbing, almost or fully minimal to half wnoebbed. webbing, webbing. fringes present. webbed. webbing. fringes present. 3 3 Eggs Eggs of frogs found in the Mallee region are all pigmented (contain colour). There are three main components to help identify eggs: texture, form and habitat. Texture Eggs are either surrounded in jelly or in a frothy, foamy mass. Form Eggs can be in long chains (often appearing as clumps), individual, in loose small groups, or in clumps. Habitat Eggs can be aquatic or terrestrial. Terrestrial eggs are always laid near water, or in hollows that are expected to flood, and usually in moist soil or leaf litter. Aquatic eggs can be floating, scattered on the substrate, or attached to submerged vegetation in the water. Terrestrial, Floating, Floating jelly TAquatic,errestrial, single Floating, Floating jelly Aquatic, single loose clumps. foamy mass. chains, around looseeggs clumps.or loose foamy mass. chains, around eggs or loose vegetation. groups in jelly, vegetation. groups in jelly, attached to attached to Terrestrial, loose Floating,submer foamyged mass. Floating jelly chains, submerged clumps.TTerrerrestrial,estrial, Floating,Floating, aroundFloatingFloating vegetation. jelljellyy Aquatic,Aquatic, singlesingle vegetation or chains,chains, araroundound vegetation or looselooseloose clumps.clumps.clumps. onffoamoam substryy mass.mass.ate. eggseggs oror looseloose on substrate. vvegetation.egetation. grgroupsoups inin jelljelly,y, attachedattached toto submersubmergedged vvegetationegetation oror onon substrsubstrate.ate. Floating raft of eggs Aquatic clumps in jelly, Aquatic single eggs Aquatic clumps Aquatic single in jelly.Floating raft of aroundAquatic submerged clumps or looseAquatic groups single in Floating raft of in jelly, around eggs or loose eggs in jelly. vegetation.in jelly, around jelly,eggs on substrate. or loose eggs in jelly. submerged groups in jelly, submerged groups in jelly, vegetation. on substrate. vegetation. on substrate. AquaticAquatic clumpsclumps AquaticAquatic singlesingle FloatingFloating rraftaft ofof ininin jelljelljelly,y, araroundound eggseggs oror looseloose eggseggs inin jelljelly.y. submersubmergedged grgroupsoups inin jelljelly,y, vvegetation.egetation. onon substrsubstrate.ate. Aquatic, single eggs Terrestrial, Floating, Floating jelly orAquatic, loose groups single in jelly, loose clumps. foamy mass. chains, around attachedeggs or to loosesubmerged vegetation. vegetation or on substrate.groups in jelly, attached to submerged vegetation or on substrate. 4 Aquatic