Australian ThreatenedFleay’s Barred Mixophyes fleayi

Conservation Status What does it look like? and adjoining wet sclerophyll forests. Males call from rocks in streams or Fleay’s barred are medium to large from pools at the margins of these streams frogs growing up to 90 millimetres long. or from the forest floor. Females have The females are often larger than the been located well away from streams — males. Fleay’s barred frogs have pale over hundreds of metres from known brown backs with darker blotches starting breeding sites. between the eyes and running down the While the majority of records for back. The arms and legs have dark bars the species are from altitudes above which widen under the legs to form a 400 metres the Fleay’s barred frog is also triangular pattern. The belly is smooth Fleay’s barred frog. Photo by Ed Meyer known from lowland . and pale yellow. In adults the top half Internationally: Endangered of the iris is silver-blue and the lower half (The World Conservation Union is brown. The fingers are unwebbed and What does it eat? the toes are half-webbed. (IUCN)) Rainforest floor insects and smaller This frog is distinguishable from other invertebrates are the primary food source barred frog species by the spots on its for the Fleay’s barred frog, which often Commonwealth: Endangered sides, triangular pattern on the backs of shelter under moist leaf litter. (Environment Protection and its thighs and its distinctive eye colour. Conservation The tadpoles are fairly large and dark Did you know… Act 1999) brown in colour, with a fine layer of gold ● Frogs communicate with each other flecks across the back. These tadpoles are through calls or croaks. These calls are fast swimmers and dart under rocks when Queensland: Endangered used to attract a mate and indicate disturbed. territory or distress. Fleay’s barred frog (Nature Conservation Act 1992) has two distinct calls made after rain Where does it live? during spring and summer, an ‘ok-ok- ok-ok-ok’ made by solitary males and a New South Wales: Endangered The Fleay’s barred frog has a restricted long ‘arrrrrrk’ or growling call given in (Threatened Species Conservation distribution extending from the Great a chorus. Act 1995) Dividing Range in south-east Queensland, ● Frogs have very special skin — they south to Yabbra Scrub in north-east New drink and breathe through it. Frogs South Wales. This frog lives in wet forests don’t usually swallow water like we do, such as rainforests, Antarctic Beech and instead they absorb most of the moisture the wetter eucalypt forests. they need through their skin. Frogs also rely on getting extra oxygen (in addition Adults often hide in leaf litter near to what they get from their lungs) from permanent fast-flowing streams in the water they absorb through their skin. B u i l din g r e si l i e nc e in t h r e at e n e d s p e ci e s a nd h a bi tat Rising temperatures and reduced rainfall: a major threat

Why are rising What is being done? Your Home Technical Manual: www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/ temperatures and reduced A recovery plan is in place for the stream frogs ● Switch off lights, appliances and equipment rainfall a problem for of south-east Queensland. when they’re not needed and install Fleay’s barred frog? There are also a range of programs in south- energy-efficient fluorescent lamps such as east Queensland and northern New South compact fluorescent lights. It has been suggested that frogs are “indicator Wales that conduct regular, long-term population ● Minimise waste of packaging and species” that warn of detrimental changes in monitoring and assessments of likely habitat, materials – refuse, reduce, re-use, recycle. the environment. Of great concern is that frog and develop and distribute educational ● For other tips on saving energy around the numbers have already declined in what were materials and information on the species. home, go to the Australian Greenhouse once considered pristine environments. Fleay’s Office web site: barred frog is one of five species of upland A captive husbandry project has also been www.greenhouse.gov.au/gwci/index.html stream-dwelling frog which has declined in initiated at Queensland’s Lone Pine Koala south-east Queensland during the last 15 years. Sanctuary, and the New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation This species has disappeared completely from Contacts and references Bunya Mountains and Mount Tamborine in has identified 17 priority actions to help Queensland. recover the Fleay’s barred frog in the state. Rebecca Richardson Queensland Coordinator Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns How you can help Threatened Species Network may impact on the wet forests and stream habi- T (07) 3839 2677 tats of the Fleay’s barred frog. Populations of ● Only handle frogs when absolutely necessary. E [email protected] the Fleay’s barred frog tend to be character- ● Maintain vegetation and deep leaf-litter Visit: www.wwf.org.au ised by low density and are often isolated from around streams. You can also find out more information about other populations. Due to the restricted and ● Keep your garden free of chemicals Australia’s threatened species by visiting fragmented distribution, and habitat preference including insecticides, pesticides, fertilisers. www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened of the Fleay’s barred frog, the effects of climate Frogs succumb to environmental poisons or contacting the Department of the change on rainforest ecosystems may impact because their very thin skin absorbs Environment and Heritage Community on this species. chemicals easily. They also become sick Information Unit, email [email protected], or and die after eating poisoned insects. freecall 1800 803 772. Fleay’s barred frog is already threatened ● Avoid sunscreens and insect repellents when ● Cogger, H (2000) Reptiles and with extinction due to changes in water flow th swimming in rainforest streams. of Australia 6 ed. patterns, a reduction in water quality from Reed New Holland, Australia. ● Report any records of Fleay’s barred frog pollution or sedimentation, predation by feral ● to the Queensland Museum or your state’s Robinson, M. (2002). A Field Guide to pigs, weed invasion, and the impacts of the National Parks and Wildlife Department. Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/ chytrid fungus. Many sites where Fleay’s Reed New Holland: Sydney. ● Walk, cycle or use public transport. barred frog occurs are the lower reaches of ● Meyer, E., Hines, H. & Hero, J-M. (2001). ● Save on heating and cooling costs streams that have had major disturbances Wet Forest Frogs of South-east Queensland. by insulating, draught-sealing and Griffith University: Queensland. to riparian vegetation and clearing and shading, while setting thermostats ● Department of the Environment and fragmentation of habitat for agriculture or appropriately. For more information see development. Heritage Species Profile www.deh.gov. the ‘Heating and Cooling’ fact sheet of the au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies. pl?taxon_id=25960 Fleay’s barred frog. Photo by Ed Meyer ● NSW Department of Environment and Conservation Species Profile threatenedspecies.environment.nsw.gov. au/tsprofile/profile.aspx?id=10537 ● QLD Environmental Protection Agency Species Profile www.epa.qld.gov.au/ nature_conservation/wildlife/threatened_ plants_and_animals/endangered/fleays_ barredfrog/ ● IPCC (2001) Climate Change 2001: The Scientific Basis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ● Frogs Australia Network: Australian Frog Database Species profile frogsaustralia. net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=49

e Australian Government a ram of th nd WWF– sed prog Austr es Network is a community-ba alia. tened Speci The Threa