Amphibians of Western Australia


The Amphibians of Western Australia are represented by two families of frogs. Of the 78 species found, most within the southwest, 38 are unique to the state. 15 of the 30 genera of Australian frogs occur; from arid regions and coastlines to permanent wetlands.
Frog species in Western Australia have not suffered the major declines of populations and diversity of many parts of the world. No species is recorded as having become extinct, despite over 50% of recent worldwide extinctions being Australian.
Three species are listed as Threatened, two as Vulnerable and Geocrinia alba as Critically endangered. Threats to the species include the fungal disease Chytridiomycosis, though no infection has yet been recorded, and damage to habitat from altered land use and fire regimes. These processes have caused decline in many populations, however, some have successfully colonized newly created habitats such as dams or suburban gardens. Species such as Litoria moorei and Limnodynastes dorsalis are very common and well known, while others are restricted to particular habitats in their distribution range.
The frogs inhabit a wide range of habitat and many in the Southwest, such as Myobatrachidae sp., occur only in that region. The Cyclorana are ground dwelling and burrowing species occurring in the North of the state. These are tree frogs, closely related in structure and reproductive biology to the other Hylidae genus - Litoria.
Fossil records of Amphibia have been identified in the north west of the state.

Naturalised species

Currently, the only non-native amphibian naturalised in Western Australia is Limnodynastes tasmaniensis, which was introduced to Kununurra in the 1970s, apparently during the relocation of several hundred transportable homes from Adelaide. However, Bufo marinus occurs in the Northern Territory close to Western Australia's border, and is expected to spread into Western Australia.

Diversity

contains three sub-families, two of which occur in Western Australia. Two members of Opisthodon are included here under their synonyms in Limnodynastes.
The tree frog family, Hylidae, contains a subfamily, Pelodryadinae, and two genera occur.
This table is a summary of the species occurring in Western Australia, giving their common name, distribution and conservation status on the IUCN Red List.
TaxaDescriptionDistributionRed List
Genus: ArenophryneOne species
Arenophryne rotundaFossorial frog that uses strong arms to burrow forward.Coastal, Kalbarri to Shark BayLC
Genus: Bufo
Bufo marinusCane toadEntering WA at 30 km per yearLC
Genus: Crinia
Crinia bilinguaBilingual Froglet
Crinia georgianaQuacking Froglet
Crinia glauertiGlauert's Froglet
Crinia insigniferaWestern Sign-bearing Froglet
Crinia pseudinsigniferaFalse Western Froglet
Crinia subinsigniferaSmall Western Froglet
Genus:Cyclorana Water-holding frogs. Ground dwelling and hibernating tree frogs.LC
Cyclorana australisGiant Frog Kimberley
Cyclorana cryptotisHidden-eared Frog Kimberley region
Cyclorana cultripesKnife-footed Frog Kimberley region
Cyclorana longipesLong-footed Frog Kimberley region
Cyclorana mainiMain's frog Central west Australia. Range: Winning Pool, Lake Disappointment to Morawa and Laverton
Cyclorana platycephalaWater-holding frog Wide distribution in the central west.
Cyclorana vagitusWailing Frog Kimberley
Genus: Geocriniaformerly CriniaSouthwest AustraliaLC except:
Geocrinia albaWhite-bellied FrogCR
Geocrinia leaiLea's frog
Geocrinia luteaWalpole's frog, Nornalup Frog NT
Geocrinia rosea, Karri frog, Roseate frog
Geocrinia vitellinaOrange-bellied frog, Yellow-bellied frogVU
Genus: HeleioporusBurrowing frogs. All except H. australiacus are WA endemic.LC
Heleioporus albopunctatus Western Spotted FrogSouthwest Australia
Heleioporus barycragus Western Marsh Frog.Southwest Australia
Heleioporus eyrei Moaning Frog Southwest Australia
Heleioporus inornatus Plains Frog.
Heleioporus psammophilus Sand Frog
Genus:Litoria Genus of tree frog ranging from Australia and New Guinea to Indonesia.LC except:
Litoria adelaidensisSlender Tree FrogSouthwest Australia
Litoria bicolorNorthern Dwarf Tree FrogKimberly region
Litoria caeruleaGreen Tree Frog
Litoria cavernicolaName Cave-dwelling Tree FrogDD
Litoria coplandiName Copland's Rock Frog
Litoria cyclorhynchaSpotted-thighed Frog
Litoria dahliDahl's Aquatic Frog
Litoria inermisFloodplain Frog
Litoria meirianaRockhole Frog
Litoria microbelosJavelin Frog
Litoria mooreiMotorbike Frog, Bell Frog.
Litoria nasutaRocket Frog
Litoria pallidaPale Frog
Litoria rothiiRoth's Tree Frog or Northern Laughing Tree FrogNorth west
Litoria rubellaThe Desert Tree Frog or Little Red Tree FrogCommon to northern half of state.
Litoria splendidaMagnificent Tree Frog or Splendid Tree Frog
Litoria tornieriTornier's Frog
Litoria watjulumensisWotjulum or Watjulum Frog
Genus: Limnodynastes
Limnodynastes convexiusculusMarbled Marsh Frog
Limnodynastes depressusFlat-headed Frog
Limnodynastes dorsalisPobblebonk, Western Banjo Frog
Limnodynastes lignariusCarpenter Frog
Limnodynastes ornatusOrnate Burrowing Frog
Limnodynastes spenceriSpencer's Burrowing Frog
Genus: MetacriniaOne speciesRestricted habitat
Metacrinia nichollsiNicholl's ToadletOccurring between Dunsborough and Albany.LC
Genus: Myobatrachus
Myobatrachus gouldiTurtle FrogLC
Genus: NeobatrachusLC
Neobatrachus albipesWhite-footed Trilling Frog
Neobatrachus aquiloniusNorthern Burrowing Frog
Neobatrachus centralisDesert Trilling Frog
Neobatrachus fulvusTawny Trilling Frog
Neobatrachus kunapalariKunapalari Frog
Neobatrachus pelobatoidesHumming Frog
Neobatrachus sutorShoemaker Frog
Neobatrachus wilsmoreiGoldfields Bullfrog
Genus: Notaden
Notaden melanoscaphusNorthern Spadefoot Toad
Notaden nichollsiDesert Spadefoot Toad
Notaden weigeliWeigel's ToadDD
Genus: PseudophryneToadletsLC
Pseudophryne douglasiDouglas's Toadlet
Pseudophryne guentheriGunther's Toadlet
Pseudophryne occidentalisOrange-crowned Toadlet
Genus: SpicospinaRestricted habitat
Spicospina flammocaeruleaSunset Frog, harlequin Frog, mountain road FrogWalpoleVU D2
Genus: UperoleiaToadletsRestricted habitatLC expect:
Uperoleia asperaDerby Toadlet
Uperoleia borealisNorthern Toadlet
Uperoleia crassaFat Toadlet
Uperoleia glandulosaGlandular Toadlet
Uperoleia lithomodaStonemason Toadlet
Uperoleia marmorataMarbled Toadlet DD
Uperoleia micromelesTanami Toadlet
Uperoleia minimaSmall Toadlet
Uperoleia mjobergiMjoberg's Toadlet
Uperoleia russelliRussell's Toadlet
Uperoleia talpaMole Toadlet
Uperoleia trachydermaBlacksoil Toadlet

Prehistory

Fossils of Amphibians have been found in Western Australia.
GenusScientific NameCommon name/sDistribution
DeltasaurusDeltasaurus kimberleyensisBlina shale