Crinia Sloanei Common Name(S): Sloane’S Froglet 2
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Threatened Species Nomination Form for amending the list of threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) 2014/15 Assessment Period The purpose of this form is to provide a nomination to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) for assessment of a non EPBC Act listed species/subspecies for inclusion on the list of threatened species or to nominate a species/subspecies for reassessment for consideration for listing in another category of threat. For a non-EPBC Act listed species to be eligible for listing as a threatened species it must be assessed as meeting at least one of the five criteria for listing. For a species already listed as threatened under the EPBC Act to be eligible for listing in a higher or lower category of threat it must be assessed as meeting at least one of the five criteria for a particular indicative threshold. For example, for a species listed as endangered to be found eligible for listing as critically endangered, it must meet the critically endangered indicative thresholds for at least one of the listing criteria. If there is insufficient information to enable details to be provided because of a lack of scientific data or analysis please include any information that is available or provide a statement next to the relevant question identifying that the data or analysis is not available. Please provide references in your nomination to support information provided. If you are nominating a species for removal from the list please complete the nomination form to delist a species. The Committee recognises that completing a nomination form is demanding as a result of the information required by the Committee to undertake an assessment to determine the eligibility for listing. Nominators are encouraged to seek expert advice where appropriate to assist in the completion of the nomination form. Important notes for completing this form Please complete the form as comprehensively as possible – it is important for the Committee to have as much information as possible, and the best case on which to judge a species’ eligibility against the EPBC Act criteria for listing. Certain information in this nomination is required to be provided by Division 7.2 EPBC Regulations 2000 (www.environment.gov.au/epbc/about/index.html). Nominations that do not meet the EPBC Regulations can not be provided to the Committee for consideration. All required questions are included in this nominations form. If information to answer any of the questions in this form is NOT available please state this in your answer as this is sufficient to meet the requirements of the EPBC Regulations. Reference all information and facts, both in the text and in a reference list at the end of the form. The opinion of appropriate scientific experts may be cited as personal communication, with their approval, in support of your nomination. Please provide the name of the experts, their qualifications and contact details (including employment in a state agency, if relevant) in the reference list at the end of the form. If the species is considered to be affected by climate change, please refer to the Guidelines for assessing climate change as a threat to native species (Attachment B; Part B2). Identify any confidential material and explain the sensitivity. Note that the information in the nomination (but excluding any information specifically requested by you to remain confidential) will be made available to the public and experts for comment. However, your details as nominator will not be released, and will remain confidential. Figures, tables and maps can be included at the end of the form or prepared as separate electronic or hardcopy documents (referred to as appendices or attachments in your nomination). Cross-reference relevant areas of the nomination form where needed. Note – Further detail to help you complete this form is provided at Attachment A. If using this form in Microsoft Word, you can jump to this information by Ctrl+clicking the hyperlinks (in blue text). Details of Nominated Species or Subspecies 1. NAME OF NOMINATED SPECIES (OR SUBSPECIES) Scientific name: Crinia sloanei Common name(s): Sloane’s Froglet 2. CURRENT LISTING CATEGORY What category is the species currently listed in under the EPBC Act? (If you are nominating the species for removal from the list, please complete the nomination form for removal from the list). X Not Listed Extinct Extinct in the wild Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable Conservation dependent 3. 2013–2014 CONSERVATION THEME Is the current conservation theme ‘terrestrial and marine flora and fauna that would benefit from national listing’ relevant to this nomination? If so, briefly explain how. Sloane’s Froglet would benefit greatly from national listing. Peri-urban areas on the outskirts of a few NSW and Victorian, Murray Valley towns are the remaining strongholds of this frog. Its remaining habitat largely occurs on rural small holdings. Its survival is dependent on sympathetic management by many people on private property. The recognition and potential funding sources that national listing would entail, would raise the profile of the froglet and enhance efforts to research and produce management guidelines for the species and increase the level of adoption and implementation of these guidelines. Listing would also help co-ordinate conservation efforts across NSW and Victoria. Defence and other Commonwealth land is an important component of the remaining habitat of the species, particularly the Wirlinga Ammunition Depot and Training Area. Much of the habitat in the Thurgoona –Albury stronghold area are former lands of the Albury-Wodonga Development Corporation, and Commonwealth funding has been provided to manage these lands for environmental conservation. Listing will re-enforce the importance of these lands for the froglets’s conservation. Transfer Information (for transferring of a species to another category) Note: If the nomination is to transfer a species between categories please complete questions 4-6. If the nomination is for a new listing please proceed to question 7. If the nomination is to remove a species from the list, please use the delisting form. 4. REASON FOR THE NOMINATION FOR CATEGORY CHANGE Please mark the boxes that apply by clicking them with your mouse. What is the reason for the nomination: Genuine change of status New Knowledge Mistake Other Taxonomic change – ‘split’ newly described ‘lumped’ no longer valid 5. INITIAL LISTING Describe the reasons for the species’ initial listing and if available the criteria under which it was formerly considered eligible 6. CHANGES IN SITUATION With regard to the listing criteria, how have circumstances changed since the species was listed that now makes it eligible for listing in another category? Species Information 7. TAXONOMY Provide any relevant detail on the species' taxonomy (e.g. authors of taxon or naming authority, year and reference; synonyms; Family and Order). Sloane's Froglet (Crinia sloanei Littlejohn 1958) was first identified from other co-occurring species of Crinia on the basis of its call, breeding behaviour and morphological appearance (Littlejohn 1958). Male Sloane's Froglet call while floating in open water of temporary ponds, while closely related sympatric species call out of water (C. parinsignifera) or under cover of overhanging grasses or sitting on submerged vegetation (C. signifera). The difference in call between the species is distinctive, with Sloane’s Froglet producing a short, high pitched chirp (Knight 2013a). Littlejohn (1958) also described morphological differences with an emphasis on the difference in throat and belly colour and markings among the three species. Molecular phylognetic study of Crinia and related taxa concluded that the taxonomic status of C. sloanei is stable (Read et al. 2001). It's closest related species are in Western Australian including C. insignifera and pseudinsignifera rather than the co-occurring C. signifera and C. parinsignifera (Read et al 2001). Hybrids are unknown. 8. CONVENTIONALLY ACCEPTED Is the species conventionally accepted? If the species' taxonomy is NOT conventionally accepted, then please provide the following information required by the EPBC Regulations 2000: a taxonomic description of the species in a form suitable for publication in conventional scientific literature; OR evidence that a scientific institution has a specimen of the species, and a written statement signed by a person who is a taxonomist and has relevant expertise (has worked with, or is a published author on, the class of species nominated), that the species is considered to be a new species. Sloane’s Froglet is conventionally recognised as a species with no subspecies, and was first described in 1958 (Littlejohn 1958). 9. DESCRIPTION Provide a description of the species including where relevant, distinguishing features, size and social structure How distinct is this species in its appearance from other species? How likely is it to be misidentified? Sloane's Froglet (Crinia sloanei) is a small ground-dwelling frog of between 15mm – 20mm, belonging to the family Myobatrichidae. Males average about 15.6 mm in size, with females being slightly bigger at 17.6 mm (Littlejohn 1958). It has a brown or browny-grey back often with darker brown or olive markings and males may also have orange or ochre coloured spots. The belly is white and peppered with small black spots. The throat of females is white, while breeding males have a greyish-green lower jaw and a pale grey throat. There is no webbing on the feet and toe- pads are absent. Eggs are pigmented and laid individually at the bottom of pools attached to blades of grass or other submerged vegetation. Tadpoles grow to 25 mm and are light grey or brown all over with scattered dark flecks (Knight 2013a, Antis 2002). Sloane’s Froglet tadpoles are difficult to distinguish from those of C. signfera and C. parinisignifera (Antis 2002).