ONEAustralia is a diverse continent of natural wonders and more; 41% of our animals and 80% of our plants are found here and nowhere else. This is especially true of frogs, which are largely endemic, confined to small ranges and in very limited numbers.
I am an animal conservation enthusiast, specifically Australian native animals. As a Wiradjuri man, being interested in country is an important part of my identity, and that extends to our fauna as well as our flora. Frogs have a special place in my heart because of the important role they play in so many ecosystems, but also because of the range of strange, quirky and wonderful species found across Australia.
Many species of frogs are at risk of extinction in the next few decades, due to climate change, habitat loss, human intervention and a widespread fungal disease. The frogs on this list are some of the most interesting, unique, and beautiful species to be found in this country. All are worthy of protection, as are more than 225 others not mentioned here. Extinction should not be an option.
15. Rock hole frog (Litoria meiriana)
What do Jesus and the hollow frog have in common? Both can walk on water. Rock hole frogs, found in northern Western Australia, have the ability to “surf” quickly across the water. They are commonly found around rock cavities, as their name suggests, but can also be found in caves. I’m not sure how well they turn water into wine.
14. Mossy Frog (Bryobatrachus nimbus)
The moss baby frog is from Tasmania most recently discovered frog, found in the Hartz Mountains in 1992. As the only frog species currently known from Southwestern Tasmania, it thrives in marine marshes and lays its eggs in mosses and lichens. Interestingly, its tadpoles grow on land for about a year, inside the fluid from their ruptured follicles. Once the winter snow melts, they emerge as fully formed froglets.
13. Baby frog (Crinia georgiana)
Is it a bird? Is it a duck? No, it’s a baby frog! A small ground-dwelling frog found in the southwestern region of WA, the quacking baby frog is known for its its distinctive duck-like call can be heard at great distances. Male frogs will also often respond when people make a quack sound – so next time you hear a croak, perhaps a quack?
12. Sandhill Frog (Arenophryne rotunda)
The Sandhill Frog looks like a cartoon for kids: round, petite, and adorable. Living in the desert around Shark Bay in WA, sandhill frogs don’t hop on hopscotch, but instead crawl around the dunes. Like most Australian desert frogs, they avoid the heat by burrowing into the sand, residing in a layer of moist soil about 30cm below the surface.
11. Blue Mountains tree frog (Litoria citropa)
The reason that the Blue Mountains tree frog makes this list can be explained with Marge Simpson meme: I just think they’re neat. Found across large swaths of Southeast Australia, from the Blue Mountains to the Mitchell River in Victoria, these tree frogs are identifiable by the large red patches on their legs and sides. As reclusive species, these frogs are hard to see and hard to hear, but worth your patience.
10. Frog of the Cross (Notaden bennetii)
No, you don’t see God, although you could be forgiven for believing it when you looked at the frog on the cross. Named for the large pattern on its back, it is found from inland NSW as far as central Queensland. Remaining underground except during periods of heavy rainfall, it uses its vivid pattern to ward off predators and excretes a sticky substance from its skin when threatened.
9. giant pobblebonk (Limnodynastes dumerilii)
Named after its iconic call the pobble-BONK, the giant pobblebonk is also known as the “giant banjo frog” and sounds exactly as you would expect. This is the largest of Australia’s numerous pobblebonks – again, as lyrical as the name suggests. They are an incredibly lovely addition to this list.
8. Falling Frog (Assa darlingtoni)
Have you ever wanted your partner to bring the kids with you when you go to work? The marsupial frog is living your dream. Found in the mountainous rainforests of southeastern Queensland and northern NSW, male pouch frogs carry their tadpoles in “socks” in their hips until they are fully grown, a process that can take up to three months.
7. Tortoise frog (Myobatrachus gouldii)
No list of Australian frog species would be complete without this very distinctive looking species. Living in desert areas where there is usually no standing water, tortoise frogs use their muscular bodies to burrow their heads into the soil, down to about a meter deep, where they consume termites and suck moisture from the soil. Unlike most frogs, it completely skips the tadpole stage, with its eggs developing straight into fully formed froglets.
6. Frog keeps the Western country (Cyclorana mysidentalis)
The last burrowing frog, the western water-holding frog, is found in arid WA. During the drier months, it burrows underground and forms a cocoon around itself by gradually shedding its skin. It can often lie like that for months until the rain is heavy enough to allow it to emerge, with loud “waah waaah” cries repeating about 80 times a minute.
5. Sunset Frog (Spicospina flammocaerulea)
The sunset frog is probably the most beautiful and oldest frog on this list. Separated from its closest relative on the evolutionary tree 30m years ago, the sunset frog is currently only found in peat bogs near Walpole, WA. It gets its name from the vibrant sunset colors that run along its body. Due to its isolation and habitat loss, it is in danger of becoming extinct.
4. Baw Baw Mountain Frog (Philoria frosti)
Baw Baw Mountain Frogs are found only on Victoria’s Mount Baw Baw, where they reside in hollows and mossy grass. Incredibly small, a baby frog is less than a five-cent piece. However, they are also one of the most endangered frog species in Australia, having suffered a 98 percent population decline since 1980. It is estimated that the Baw Baw mountain frog will extinct in the wild within 5 to 10 years.
3. Alpine Whistling Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxii alpina)
What does the high mountain whistling tree frog drink in winter? Hot croak-co! The only Australian tree frog known to survive winter snowfall, this whistling tree frog is regularly found at altitudes more than 1,200 meters above sea level. During the winter months, they take shelter among rocks, logs and foliage. However, their distinct whistles may soon no longer be heard, as they are at risk of habitat loss, wildfire, and fungus invasion.
2. Northern Stomach Hatching Frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus)
Is this frog worthy of the position? Totally agree. A small species of aquatic frog, approximately 500 square kilometers in size in Queensland’s Eungella National Park, the northern gastropod frog – along with its southern relative – is unique among all frog species. Females swallow eggs, incubating in the abdomen; As the tadpole grows, it spits out colostrum. A really coolest frog!
However, according to most scientists, the northern stomach frog is “Definitely Extinct” and it may have been a while. But I believe this is a strong reason to include it: to highlight the threat to frogs across Australia. Without us and our actions, this wonder of nature would still be here.
1. The South corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree)
The corroboree frog is truly the tastiest frog in the country. Beautiful black and gold, extremely small and poisonous: they are an iconic species from an iconic landscape. Divided between northern and southern species, the amphibian lives in alpine forests, heathlands, and small creeks. They are a slow-growing and slow-aging species, not reaching maturity until they are four years old. Baby Yoda of the Australian frog, if you will.
However, this beautiful creature is critically endangered. Invasive fungi and climate change are playing an important role, especially in droughts and wildfires. The presence of invasive wild horses in the Australian Alps doesn’t just affect these frogs, either, but Kosciuszko National Park in general. Breeding programs at Taronga . Zoo trying to save species in captivity, but what if these black and gold gems are no longer found in the wild? We should not let this symbol follow the path of so many other extinct amphibians.
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James Blackwell is a Wiradjuri man, a scholar and a writer proudly living in Ngunnuwal Country in Canberra.
