Amphibians of Australia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Amphibians of Australia are limited to members of the order Anura, commonly known as frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

s. All Australian frogs are in the suborder Neobatrachia

Neobatrachia

Neobatrachia are a suborder of the Anura, the order of frogs and toads. This suborder is the most advanced and apomorphic of the three anuran orders alive today; hence its name, which literally means "new frogs"...

, also known as the modern frogs, which make up the largest proportion of extant frog species. About 230 of the 5,280 species of frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

are native to Australia with 93% of them endemic

Endemic (ecology)

Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...

. Compared with other continents, species diversity is low, and may be related to the climate of most of the Australian continent

Australia (continent)

Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands...

. There is only one invasive

Invasive species

"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....

amphibian, the Cane Toad

Cane Toad

The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean...

Origins

The Australian continent once formed part of the Supercontinent

Supercontinent

In geology, a supercontinent is a landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton. The assembly of cratons and accreted terranes that form Eurasia qualifies as a supercontinent today.-History:...

Pangaea

Pangaea, Pangæa, or Pangea is hypothesized as a supercontinent that existed during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras about 250 million years ago, before the component continents were separated into their current configuration....

, which split into Gondwana

Gondwana

In paleogeography, Gondwana , originally Gondwanaland, was the southernmost of two supercontinents that later became parts of the Pangaea supercontinent. It existed from approximately 510 to 180 million years ago . Gondwana is believed to have sutured between ca. 570 and 510 Mya,...

and Laurasia

Laurasia

In paleogeography, Laurasia was the northernmost of two supercontinents that formed part of the Pangaea supercontinent from approximately...

approximately 180 million years ago. The earliest true frog fossil, Vieraella herbsti
Vieraella
Vieraella is an extinct genus of frog from the Jurassic period of Argentina, and the oldest true frog known.Despite living around 200 million years ago, Vieraella was anatomically very similar to modern frogs. For example, its hind legs were adapted for jumping, and the skull already possessed the...

, is dated between 188 and 213 million years old. This predates the splitting of Gondwana, and has resulted in frogs present on all continents.

The first two continents to split from Australia were South America and Africa. The amphibian fauna of both these continents are varied due to collisions with Laurasian continents. However, the South African family Heleophrynidae, and the South American family Leptodactylidae

Leptodactylidae

Leptodactylidae is a diverse family of frogs that probably diverged from other hyloids during the Cenozoic era, or possibly at the end of the Mesozoic. There are roughly 50 genera, one of which is Eleutherodactylus, the largest vertebrate genus, with over 700 species...

, are both closely related to Myobatrachidae

Myobatrachidae

Myobatrachidae is a family of frogs found in Australia and New Guinea. Members of this family vary greatly in size, from species less than long, to the second largest frog in Australia, the Giant Barred Frog , at in length...

, an Australian family of ground dwelling frogs.

Fossil data suggests the tree frog

Tree frog

Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semi-aquatic.-Characteristics:...

s, of the family Hylidae, originated in South America after its separation from Africa. Outside Australia, tree frogs are widespread throughout much of North

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

and Asia. Tree frogs presumably migrated to Australia via Antarctica. Similarities in melanosome

Melanosome

In a biological cell, a melanosome is an organelle containing melanin, the most common light-absorbing pigment found in the animal kingdom.Cells that synthesize melanins are called melanocytes, and also the retinal pigment epithelium cells, whereas cells that have merely engulfed the melanosomes...

s between some Litoria

Litoria

Litoria is a genus of Hylidae tree frogs native to Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccan Islands, and Timor. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs...

and Phyllomedusa

Phyllomedusa

Phyllomedusa is a genus of tree frog from Central and South America. It ranges from Costa Rica southward to Argentina. It has around thirty species.-Secretion:...

suggests a relationship between the South American and Australian tree frogs, however immunological

Immunology

Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...

evidence suggests an early divergence

Divergent evolution

Divergent evolution is the accumulation of differences between groups which can lead to the formation of new species, usually a result of diffusion of the same species to different and isolated environments which blocks the gene flow among the distinct populations allowing differentiated fixation...

between the families.

India, Madagascar and Seychelles split from Gondwana approximately 130 million years ago. The family Sooglossidae

Sooglossidae

The Seychelles Frogs are a family of frogs found on the Seychelles Islands and India. Until recently this family was believed to include the genera Nesomantis and Sooglossus, but following a major revision of amphibians in 2006 the genus Nesomantis was named a junior synonym of Sooglossus;...

is native to both India and the Seychelles, and is considered a sister taxon

Cladistics

Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...

to Myobatrachidae. Sooglossidae

Sooglossidae

is more closely related to Myobatrachidae than the African or South American families.

Australia and New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

are the two major land masses which make up the Australian continent

Australia (continent)

Australia is the world's smallest continent, comprising the mainland of Australia and proximate islands including Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands and Raja Ampat Islands...

. During its history, there have been many land connections between New Guinea and Australia. The most recent of which severed 10,000 years ago during the transition from a glacial period

Glacial period

A glacial period is an interval of time within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate within an ice age...

to the current interglacial period. The result of this recent land connection on the Australian amphibian fauna has been the swapping of species, and even families. The origin of the frog species found on both land masses can be determined by their distributions. It is likely that White's Tree Frog

White's Tree Frog

The Australian Green Tree Frog, simply Green Tree Frog in Australia, White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand and the United States. The species belongs to the genus Litoria...

(Litoria caerulea) migrated from Australia to New Guinea, as it is widespread in Australia and only inhabits small areas within New Guinea. Whereas the Giant Tree Frog

Giant Tree Frog

The White-lipped Tree Frog , also known as the Giant Tree Frog, is the world's largest tree frog. This species is native to the rainforests of Northern Queensland, New Guinea, the Bismarck Islands and the Admiralty Islands....

(Litoria infrafrenata) is likely from New Guinea, as it is widespread in New Guinea, and only inhabits the Cape York Peninsula

Cape York Peninsula

Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...

in Australia. The single Nyctimystes species in Australia is another example of genus swapping that occurred between New Guinea and Australia.

There are two families which are widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere which only inhabit far northern Australia. These are Microhylidae

Microhylidae

Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...

and the Ranidae. Two of the fifty-nine genera of Microhylidae, and only one of approximately 750 species of Ranidae are native to Australia. Although both these families are widely distributed throughout the world, they have only recently reached Australia and New Guinea. This is because the Australian continent has remained isolated since its separation from Antarctica, and as it has drifted north towards Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, many species have been able to cross into New Guinea, and eventually Australia. However, most of the ecological niche

Ecological niche

In ecology, a niche is a term describing the relational position of a species or population in its ecosystem to each other; e.g. a dolphin could potentially be in another ecological niche from one that travels in a different pod if the members of these pods utilize significantly different food...

s filled by frogs had been filled before the Ranids and Microhylids reached Australia, so only a limited number of species have established.

Distribution

The distribution of Australian frogs is largely influenced by climate. The areas of largest biodiversity occur in the tropical and temperate zones of northern and eastern Australia. Arid

Arid

A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life...

areas have restricted amphibian biodiversity, as frogs generally require water to breed. Many Australian frog species have adapted to deal with the harsh conditions of their habitat. Many species, such as those of the genus Cyclorana

Cyclorana

Cyclorana is a subgenus of the frog genus Litoria in the family Hylidae , whose members are found in most of Australia. It was formerly considered a separate genus, but reclassified following a major revision by Frost et al. in 2006...

, burrow underground to avoid heat and prolonged drought conditions. Tadpole and egg development of frogs from arid regions differs from those from higher rainfall regions. Some species, such as those of the Cyclorana
Cyclorana
Cyclorana is a subgenus of the frog genus Litoria in the family Hylidae , whose members are found in most of Australia. It was formerly considered a separate genus, but reclassified following a major revision by Frost et al. in 2006...

genus and other desert dwelling species have relatively short tadpole development periods. These species often breed in temporary, shallow pools where the high water temperature speeds up tadpole development. Tadpoles that live in such pools can complete development within a month. On the other hand, species such as those in the Mixophyes genus live in areas of high rainfall. Metamorphosis of Mixophyes tadpoles may take as long as fifteen months. The Sandhill Frog

Sandhill Frog

The Northern Sandhill Frog is a small, fossorial frog native to a small region of the Western Australian coast. It was formerly considered the sole species within the Arenophryne genus until a new species of frog called the Southern Sandhill Frog was discovered about 100 kilometers from Geraldton,...

(Arenophryne rotunda) lives in sand dunes between Shark Bay

Shark Bay

Shark Bay is a World Heritage listed bay in Western Australia. The term may also refer to:* the locality of Shark Bay, now known as Denham* Shark Bay Marine Park* Shark Bay , a shark exhibit at Sea World, Gold Coast, Australia* Shire of Shark Bay...

and Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park

Kalbarri National Park is located north of Perth. The major geographical features of the park include the Murchison River gorge which runs for nearly 80 kilometres on the lower reaches of the Murchison River...

in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

. This area has very little free-standing water and therefore this species has adapted another way of tadpole development. Sandhill Frogs lay their eggs under the sand and the tadpoles develop into frogs entirely within the egg. This adaptation allows them to breed with the absence of water.

There are large variety of habitats inhabited by Australian frogs. Variations in rainfall, temperature, altitude and latitude have resulted in a large number of habitats in Australia, most of which are inhabited by frogs. In the Nullarbor Plain

Nullarbor Plain

The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the world's largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about...

, daytime temperatures can reach 48.5 °C nights can have freezing condition and rainfall is less than 200mm per year. These factors make it very difficult for frogs to survive, and few species are found in this area.

Conservation

During the 1980s, population declines were reported in Australian frog species and are severe in some areas. Many of the frogs that were reported as declining were high altitude, creek dwelling species that were remote from a changing ecology. This indicated that habitat loss and degradation were not responsible for all the declines; the cause is unknown but a diseases known as chytrid fungus may be a factor. In some cases entire genera were found declining. Both species of gastric brooding frog are now classified as extinct and all but two species of Taudactylus
Taudactylus
Taudactylus is a genus of frogs in the family Myobatrachidae. These frogs are endemic to rainforest areas of coastal eastern Australia, most of this genus inhabit fast flowing streams in highland area. Most members of this genus have suffered serious declines, in which the disease chytridiomycosis...

are critically endangered (Taudactylus diurnus is classified as extinct and Taudactylus liemi is classified as near threatened). Every species in the Philoria
Philoria
Philoria is a genus of frogs native to eastern and southern Australia. These frogs are all confined to mountain areas, with 5 species occurring in the mountains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. One species occurs in Victoria. All species are listed as endangered, except the Baw...

genus are currently declining and some species in the "Torrent Frog" complex (Litoria nannotis, Litoria lorica, Litoria nyakalensis and Litoria rheocola) have not been located for a number of years. Currently three Australian species of frog are classified as extinct, 14 listed as critically endangered and 18 as endangered. Of the 14 critically endangered species 4 have not been recorded for over 15 years and may now be extinct.

Prior to the large scale declines of the 1980s, habitat destruction was the major threat to Australian frog species since colonisation. For example, the decline of the Giant Burrowing Frog

Giant Burrowing Frog

The Giant Burrowing Frog is a large frog species that occurs in coastal south east New South Wales and Victoria in Australia-Physical description:...

(Heleioporus australiacus) was mostly attributed to altered land use and fire regimes, such as land clearing for housing or agriculture and high intensity fires. The distribution of the Giant Burrowing Frog included Sydney, and therefore, large populations were destroyed.

Extinct frogs

Rheobatrachus silus - Southern Gastric-brooding Frog
Gastric-brooding frog
The gastric-brooding frogs or Platypus frogs were a genus of ground-dwelling frogs native to Queensland in eastern Australia. The genus consisted of only two species, both of which became extinct in the mid-1980s...

- last seen 1981
Rheobatrachus vitellinus - Northern Gastric-brooding Frog
Gastric-brooding frog
The gastric-brooding frogs or Platypus frogs were a genus of ground-dwelling frogs native to Queensland in eastern Australia. The genus consisted of only two species, both of which became extinct in the mid-1980s...

- last seen 1985
Taudactylus diurnus - Mount Glorious Torrent Frog - last seen 1979

Critically endangered frogs

Cophixalus concinnus - Elegant Frog
Elegant Frog
The Elegant Frog is a critically endangered species of amphibian. This particular frog species is found in Australia's montane rainforests, usually under logs and in leaf litter. Their geographic range within Australia is less than 100 km².-Characteristics:These frogs are grey on their backs with...
Geocrinia alba - White-bellied Frog
Litoria booroolongensis - Booroolong Frog
Booroolong Frog
The Booroolong Frog is a species of stream dwelling frog native to the western slopes and ranges of New South Wales and northern Victoria.-Physical description:...
Litoria castanea - Yellow-spotted Bell Frog - rediscovered in 2009 after not being seen for 30 years
Litoria lorica - Armoured Frog
Armoured Frog
The Armoured Frog , Litoria lorica, is a species of tree frog that is in the Torrent Frog complex , a group that is restricted to north-eastern Queensland, Australia.-Distribution:...

- rediscovered 2008 after not being seen for about 15 years
Litoria nyakalensis - Nyakala Frog* - last seen 1990
Litoria piperata - Peppered Tree Frog
Peppered Tree Frog
The Peppered Tree Frog, is a species of critically endangered tree frog found in northern New South Wales, Australia.-Distribution:...

* - last confirmed sighting 1973, similar frogs discovered in 1992
Litoria spenceri - Spotted Tree Frog
Philoria frosti - Baw Baw Frog
Baw Baw Frog
The Baw Baw frog is a critically endangered species of Australian frog as categorised on the IUCN redlist and listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act .- Description :...

- as few as 250 adults left in the wild
Pseudophryne corroboree - Corroboree Frog
Corroboree frog
The Corroboree frogs are two species of small, ground dwelling frogs, native to Southern Tablelands of Australia. The two species are the Southern Corroboree Frog and the Northern Corroboree Frog .-Taxonomy:'Corroboree' is an Indigenous Australian word for a gathering or meeting where...

- as few as 250 adults left in the wild
Taudactylus acutirostris - Sharp-snouted Day Frog* - three sightings since 1994
Taudactylus eungellensis - Eungella Torrent Frog
Eungella Torrent Frog
The Eungella Torrent Frog is a species of stream dwelling frog endemic to Australia. It is restricted to ranges west of Mackay in mid-eastern Queensland.-Physical description:...
Taudactylus pleione - Kroombit Tinker Frog
Kroombit Tinker Frog
The Kroombit Tinker Frog or Pleione's Torrent Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family. It is endemic to south-eastern Queensland in Australia...
Taudactylus rheophilus - Tinkling Frog* - last seen in 2000

Endangered frogs

Cophixalus mcdonaldi - McDonald's Frog
Mcdonald's Frog
The Mcdonald's Frog is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
Cophixalus monticola - Mountain Nursery Frog
Cophixalus neglectus - Neglected Frog
Neglected Frog
The Neglected Frog is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
Litoria brevipalmata - Green Thighed Frog
Green Thighed Frog
The Green Thighed Frog, is a medium sized species of ground-dwelling tree frog.-Distribution:The Green Thighed Frog is native to the east coast of Australia. Their range stretches from Cordalba State Forest in south-eastern Queensland to Ourimbah in New South Wales; however within this area...
Litoria cooloolensis - Cooloolah Tree Frog
Litoria nannotis - Torrent Tree Frog
Litoria raniformis - Growling Grass Frog
Growling Grass Frog
The Growling Grass Frog , also commonly known as the Southern Bell Frog, Warty Swamp Frog and erroneously as the Green Frog is a species of ground dwelling tree frog is native to South eastern Australia; ranging from southern South Australia along the Murray River though Victoria to New South...
Litoria rheocola - Common Mist Frog
Common Mist Frog
The Common Mist Frog , Litoria rheocola, is a species of tree frog native to north-eastern Queensland, Australia.-Physical description:...
Mixophyes fleayi - Fleay's Barred Frog
Fleay's Barred Frog
The Fleay's Barred Frog is a large species of frog restricted to small pockets of rainforest in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, Australia.-Distribution:...
Mixophyes iteratus - Giant Barred Frog
Giant Barred Frog
The Giant Barred Frog, Mixophyes iteratus, is a species of barred frogs in Australia. It occurs from south-east Queensland to just south of the Newcastle region in New South Wales...
Nyctimystes dayi - Australian Lace-lid
Australian Lace-lid
The Australian Lace-lid is a tree frog and is the only species in its genus that occurs in Australia.-Physical description:...
Philoria kundagungan - Mountain Frog
Mountain Frog
The Mountain Frog or Red And Yellow Mountain Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers....
Philoria loveridgei - Loveridge's Frog
Loveridge's Frog
The Loveridge's Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical and tropical moist montane forests, and streams.It is threatened by habitat loss and by infection of the Amphibian...
Philoria pughi
Philoria pughi
Philoria pughi is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, rivers, and intermittent freshwater marshes....
Philoria richmondensis
Philoria richmondensis
The Mountain Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, rivers, intermittent rivers, and intermittent freshwater marshes.It is threatened by...
Philoria sphagnicolus - Sphagnum Frog
Sphagnum Frog
The Sphagnum Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist upland forests, subtropical moist montane forests, and Streams. They vary in color from shades of yellow and orange. They usually have irregular black spots that range all over their...
Pseudophryne covacevichae - Magnificent Brood Frog
Magnificent Brood Frog
The Magnificent Broodfrog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Australia....
Pseudophryne pengilleyi - Northern Corroboree Frog

A * indicates possible extinction.

Australian amphibian genera

The Australian frog fauna consists of four native families, and one introduced family. The sole species of frog introduced to Australia which has naturalised

Naturalisation (biology)

In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....

, is the Cane Toad

Cane Toad

(Bufo marinus), of the family Bufonidae. The Cane Toad was introduced to several locations throughout Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

, and has since spread west and south.

The tree frog

Tree frog

s, of the family Hylidae, are one of the major families in Australia, with over 70 species. The tree frogs are split into three genera: Cyclorana
Cyclorana
Cyclorana is a subgenus of the frog genus Litoria in the family Hylidae , whose members are found in most of Australia. It was formerly considered a separate genus, but reclassified following a major revision by Frost et al. in 2006...

, Litoria
Litoria
Litoria is a genus of Hylidae tree frogs native to Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccan Islands, and Timor. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs...

and Nyctimystes
Nyctimystes
Nyctimystes is a genus of tree frog in the Hylidae family. They are principally Papuan species but do inhabit islands in the Moluccas and northern Queensland, Australia. All species in this genus have one distinct feature that separates them from other species in the Hylidae genus, the lower eyelid...

. The tree frogs of Australia have various habits, from completely arboreal to fossorial.

The other major family native to Australia is Myobatrachidae

Myobatrachidae

, consisting of 17 to 22 genera and 112 species. Myobatrachidae is endemic to Australia, New Guinea and a few small islands, however the highest diversity can be found in Australia.

Microhylidae

Microhylidae

Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:...

and Ranidae make up a small amount of the Australian frog fauna, with less than 20 species in Microhylidae and one species of Ranidae. The majority of the species within these families are found throughout the world, with Australia making up a small portion of their diversity.

Genus	Common names	Example species	Example photo	Australian range
Bufonidae - 1 genus, 1 species (introduced)
Bufo Bufo Bufo is a large genus of about 150 species of true toads in the amphibian family Bufonidae. Bufo is a Latin word for toad.- Description :... - 1 species Laurenti, 1768	True toads	Cane Toad Cane Toad The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean... (Bufo marinus)
Hylidae - 1 sub-family, 3 genera, 78 species
Genus	Common names	Example species	Example photo	Australian range
Cyclorana Cyclorana Cyclorana is a subgenus of the frog genus Litoria in the family Hylidae , whose members are found in most of Australia. It was formerly considered a separate genus, but reclassified following a major revision by Frost et al. in 2006... - 13 species Steindachner Franz Steindachner Franz Steindachner was an Austrian zoologist.- Work and career :Being interested in natural history, Steindachner took up the study of fossil fishes on the recommendation of his friend Eduard Suess... , 1867	Water holding frogs	Striped Burrowing Frog Striped Burrowing Frog The striped burrowing frog is a species of burrowing frog in the Hylidae family. It occurs throughout much of Australia, from northern New South Wales, through eastern and northern Queensland and into eastern Northern Territory. This species was once included in the genus Litoria.-Physical... (Cyclorana alboguttata)
Litoria Litoria Litoria is a genus of Hylidae tree frogs native to Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccan Islands, and Timor. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs... - 64 species Tschudi Johann Jakob von Tschudi Johann Jakob von Tschudi was a Swiss naturalist and explorer.Tschudi was born in Glarus, and studied natural sciences and medicine at the universities of Neuchâtel, Leiden and Paris. In 1838 he travelled to Peru, where he remained for five years exploring and collecting plants in the Andes... , 1838	Tree frogs	White's Tree Frog White's Tree Frog The Australian Green Tree Frog, simply Green Tree Frog in Australia, White's Tree Frog, or Dumpy Tree Frog is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand and the United States. The species belongs to the genus Litoria... (Litoria caerulea)
Nyctimystes Nyctimystes Nyctimystes is a genus of tree frog in the Hylidae family. They are principally Papuan species but do inhabit islands in the Moluccas and northern Queensland, Australia. All species in this genus have one distinct feature that separates them from other species in the Hylidae genus, the lower eyelid... - 1 species Stejneger, 1916	Big eyed tree frogs	Australian Lace-lid Australian Lace-lid The Australian Lace-lid is a tree frog and is the only species in its genus that occurs in Australia.-Physical description:... (Nyctimystes dayi )
Microhylidae Microhylidae Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 413 species in 69 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.-Description:... - 1 sub-family, 2 genera, 19 species
Genus	Common names	Example species	Example photo	Australian range
Austrochaperina Austrochaperina Austrochaperina is a genus of microhylid frogs found on New Guinea, New Britain and Australia.-Species:... - 5 species Fry Fry -Food and cooking:* Frying, the act of cooking food in oil or fat Pan frying, frying food in a flat pan Stir frying, frying food in a wok and stirring it while it cooks* Full breakfast, a traditional cooked meal, also called a fry-up or Ulster fry... , 1912	Nursery frogs	Fry's Frog Fry's Frog The Fry's Frog is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family.It is endemic to Australia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:... (Austrochaperina fryi)
Cophixalus Cophixalus Cophixalus is a genus of microhylid frogs. These are arboreal species with expanded toe-pads, endemic to Moluccan Islands, New Guinea and northeastern Queensland, Australia.-Species:... - 14 species Boettger Oskar Boettger Oskar Boettger was a German zoologist who was a native of Frankfurt am Main. He was an uncle of the noted malacologist Caesar Rudolf Boettger .... , 1892	Rainforest frogs	Scanty Frog Scanty Frog The Scanty Frog or the Dainty Nursery Frog is a Microhylid frog found in a restircted area of rainforest in north-east Queensland. It is the smallest frog species in Australia.-Physical description:... (Cophixalus exiguus)	-
Myobatrachidae Myobatrachidae Myobatrachidae is a family of frogs found in Australia and New Guinea. Members of this family vary greatly in size, from species less than long, to the second largest frog in Australia, the Giant Barred Frog , at in length... - 3 sub-families, 20 genera, 119 species (3 extinct)
Genus	Common names	Example species	Example photo	Australian range
Adelotus - 1 species Ogilby Ogilby Ogilby may refer to:John Ogilby, a Scottish translator, impresario and cartographerWilliam Ogilby, an Irish barrister and naturalist*James Douglas Ogilby , an Australian zoologist, son of William Ogilby... , 1907	Tusked Frog	Tusked Frog Tusked Frog The tusked frog is a species of ground-dwelling frog native to eastern Australia from Eungella National Park, Queensland south to Ourimbah, New South Wales. It is the only species in the Adelotus genus.-Physical description:... (Adelotus brevis)
Arenophryne - 1 species Tyler Tyler Tyler is an English word which means door keeper of an inn. It is also thought to be a derived occupational name derived from “tiler”, one who makes tiles. It is used both as a surname, and as given name for both genders... , 1976	Sandhill Frog	Sandhill Frog Sandhill Frog The Northern Sandhill Frog is a small, fossorial frog native to a small region of the Western Australian coast. It was formerly considered the sole species within the Arenophryne genus until a new species of frog called the Southern Sandhill Frog was discovered about 100 kilometers from Geraldton,... (Arenophryne rotunda)	-
Assa ASSA ASSA can refer to:* Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia* Actuarial Society of South Africa* Allied Social Sciences Association* Armed Services Security Agency, UK* Assa Abloy - Swedish manufacturer of locks and security doors... - 1 species Tyler Tyler Tyler is an English word which means door keeper of an inn. It is also thought to be a derived occupational name derived from “tiler”, one who makes tiles. It is used both as a surname, and as given name for both genders... , 1972	Pouched Frog	Pouched Frog Pouched Frog The Pouched Frog is a small, terrestrial frog found in rainforests in mountain areas of south-eastern Queensland and northern New South Wales, Australia... (Assa darlingtoni)
Crinia Crinia Crinia is a genus of frog, native to Australia, and part of the family Myobatrachidae. It consists of small frogs, which are distributed throughout most of Australia, excluding the central arid regions... - 15 species Tschudi Johann Jakob von Tschudi Johann Jakob von Tschudi was a Swiss naturalist and explorer.Tschudi was born in Glarus, and studied natural sciences and medicine at the universities of Neuchâtel, Leiden and Paris. In 1838 he travelled to Peru, where he remained for five years exploring and collecting plants in the Andes... , 1838	Australian froglets	Common Eastern Froglet Common Eastern Froglet The Common Eastern Froglet is a very common, Australian ground-dwelling frog, of the family Myobatrachidae.-Distribution:... (Crinia signifera)
Geocrinia Geocrinia Geocrinia is a genus of frogs in the family Myobatrachidae. These frogs are endemic to Australia. All the species in this genus were originally referred to as Crinia. Further studies showed there was some considerable differences between this group of frogs and Crinia... - 7 species Blake Blake Blake is a surname or a given name which originated from Old English. Its derivation is uncertain; it could come from "blac", a nickname for someone who had dark hair or skin, or from "blaac", a nickname for someone with pale hair or skin. Another theory is that it is a corruption of "Ap Lake",... , 1973	Ground froglets	Smooth Frog (Geocrinia laevis)	-
Heleioporus Heleioporus Heleioporus is a genus of frogs native to Australia. Of the six species in this genus, five live in south-west Western Australia, while the other one species only occurs in south-eastern Australia. All members of this genus are medium to large sized burrowing frogs with rounded heads, short bodies,... - 6 species Gray John Edward Gray John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray .... , 1841	Giant burrowing frogs	Giant Burrowing Frog Giant Burrowing Frog The Giant Burrowing Frog is a large frog species that occurs in coastal south east New South Wales and Victoria in Australia-Physical description:... (Heleioporus australiacus)
Lechriodus Lechriodus The Lechriodus is a genus of ground-dwelling from the family Myobatrachidae, native to eastern Australia and New Guinea. They are medium-sized frogs and the dorsal skin has a sandpaper-like texture... - 1 species Boulenger George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger FRS was a Belgian-British zoologist who identified over 2000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles and amphibians.-Life:... , 1882	Cannibal frogs	Fletcher's Frog Fletcher's Frog Fletcher's Frog or Sandpaper Frog is a species of ground frog native to eastern Australia from South-east QLD to Ourimbah, NSW. It inhabits rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest of the coast and ranges.-Physical description:... (Lechriodus fletcheri)
Limnodynastes Limnodynastes Limnodynastes is a genus of frog native to Australia, southern New Guinea and some Torres Strait Islands. They are ground-dwelling frogs, with no toe pads. The size varies from 45 mm to 90 mm in the Giant Banjo Frog. The webbing on the feet ranges between species, from very little, to almost complete... - 13 species Fitzinger Leopold Fitzinger Leopold Joseph Franz Johann Fitzinger was an Austrian zoologist.Fitzinger was born in Vienna and studied botany at the university of Vienna under Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin... , 1843	Australian swamp frogs	Eastern Banjo Frog Eastern Banjo Frog Limnodynastes dumerilii is a frog species from the family Myobatrachidae. The informal names for this species, and its subspecies, include... (Limnodynastes dumerilli)
Metacrinia - 1 species Parker Hampton Wildman Parker Hampton Wildman Parker was an English zoologist.Parker was Keeper of Zoology at the Natural History Museum from 1947 to 1957. He is the author of a works on snakes and frogs: Parker discovered the Vesey-Fitzgerald's Burrowing Skink on the Seychelles which he named after entomologist Leslie Desmond... , 1940	Nicholl's Toadlet	Nicholl's Toadlet Nicholl's Toadlet Metacrinia nichollsi is a species of Australian frog, commonly named as the Forest Toadlet. It is endemic to Southwest Australia, occurring between Dunsborough and Albany.-Physical description:... (Metacrinia nichollsi)	-
Mixophyes - 5 species Günther Albert C. L. G. Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist.... , 1864	Barred frogs	Great Barred Frog Great Barred Frog The Great Barred Frog is an Australian ground-dwelling frog of the genus Mixophyes.-Physical description:... (Mixophyes fasciolatus)
Myobatrachus Myobatrachus Myobatrachus gouldii, the turtle frog is an Western Australian frog, and the only species in the genus Myobatrachus. It has a small head, and short limbs, but a round body, up to long.... - 1 species Tyler Tyler Tyler is an English word which means door keeper of an inn. It is also thought to be a derived occupational name derived from “tiler”, one who makes tiles. It is used both as a surname, and as given name for both genders... , 1976	Turtle Frog	Turtle Frog (Myobatrachus gouldii)	-
Neobatrachus Neobatrachus Neobatrachus is a genus of burrowing ground frogs native to Australia. They occur in every state except Tasmania, however this genus is absent from the far north of Australia and most of Queensland. Most of the species in this genus occur in south-west Western Australia. They are often found in... - 10 species Peters Wilhelm Peters Wilhelm Karl Hartwich Peters was a German naturalist and explorer.He was assistant to Johannes Peter Müller and later curator of the Berlin Zoological Museum. In September 1842 he travelled to Mozambique via Angola. He returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens... , 1863	Stubby frogs	Painted Frog Painted Frog Painted Frog may refer to:Atelopus ebenoides – from Central AmericaDiscoglossus pictus – from the central Mediterranean region.Neobatrachus pictus – from southern AustraliaNeobatrachus sudelli – from eastern Australia... (Neobatrachus pictus)
Notaden Notaden Notaden is a genus of burrowing ground frogs native to central and northern Australia.- Description :Its body is very round in shape with a short neck. Its pupils are horizontal slits. It has long arms and short, stubby legs. Its fingers lack webbing and its toes may have slight to no webbing. ... - 4 species Günther Albert C. L. G. Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist.... , 1873	Australian spadefoot toads	Crucifix Toad Crucifix Toad The Crucifix Toad or Holy Cross Frog is an Australian, fossorial frog. It is one of the few Australian frogs to display aposematism. It is native to wastern New South Wales, and south western Queensland.-Physical description:... (Notaden bennettii)
Opisthodon Opisthodon Opisthodon is a small genus of Limnodynastine frogs with only two species. Until a major revision in 2006 these two species were classified in the genus Limnodynastes but were removed to this resurrected genus to render monophyletic genera .... - 2 species Steindachner, 1867
Ornate Burrowing Frog Ornate Burrowing Frog The Ornate Burrowing Frog formerly is a species of ground frog native to Australia. It was moved to the genus Opisthodon in 2006 following a major revision of amphibians .-Physical description:... (Opisthodon ornatus)
Paracrinia - 1 species Heyer and Liem, 1976	Haswell's Froglet	Haswell's Froglet Haswell's Froglet The Haswell's Frog is a small ground frog found around coastal swamps in eastern Australia from around Port Macquarie, New South Wales to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. It is the only member of the genus Paracrinia.... (Paracrinia haswelii)
Philoria Philoria Philoria is a genus of frogs native to eastern and southern Australia. These frogs are all confined to mountain areas, with 5 species occurring in the mountains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. One species occurs in Victoria. All species are listed as endangered, except the Baw... - 6 species Spencer Spencer -Names:Spencer , a surnameList of people with surname SpencerSpencer , a given name -Australia:*Spencer, New South Wales, on the Central Coast... , 1901	Mountain frogs	Sphagnum Frog Sphagnum Frog The Sphagnum Frog is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family. Its natural habitats are subtropical moist upland forests, subtropical moist montane forests, and Streams. They vary in color from shades of yellow and orange. They usually have irregular black spots that range all over their... (Philoria sphagnicolus)
Pseudophryne Pseudophryne Pseudophryne is a genus of small Myobatrachid frogs. All of these frogs are small terrestrial frogs, and as such, most species are commonly called toadlets . The genus is comrpised of thirteen species, ten from eastern Australia, and three from Western Australia... - 13 species Tyler Tyler Tyler is an English word which means door keeper of an inn. It is also thought to be a derived occupational name derived from “tiler”, one who makes tiles. It is used both as a surname, and as given name for both genders... , 1976	Toadlets or Brood frogs	Red-crowned Toadlet Red-crowned Toadlet The Red-crowned Toadlet, is a species of Australian ground frog, restricted to the Sydney Basin, New South Wales. It is only found around sandstone escarpment areas around Sydney, from Ourimbah in the north, Nowra to the south and the Blue Mountains areas to the west... (Pseudophryne australis)
Rheobatrachus - 2 species Liem, 1973	Gastric brooding frogs	Southern Gastric Brooding Frog (Rheobatrachus silus)

Spicospina - 1 species Roberts Roberts - Places :United States* Roberts, Idaho* Roberts, Illinois* Roberts, Wisconsin* Roberts County, Texas* Mount Roberts , a summit in the Ossipee Mountains- Other uses :* Roberts class monitor, a class of British warship... , Horwitz Horwitz -People:Bernhard Horwitz chess playerBrian Horwitz, American major league baseball outfielder* Harry Moses Horwitz, aka Moe Howard of the Three Stooges.* Jerome Lester Horwitz, aka Curly Howard of the Three Stooges.... , Wardell-Johnson, Maxson, and Mahony Mahony Mahony may refer to :Bertha Mahony , children’s literature publisherChris Mahony New Zealand rugby union player*Dennis Mahony , Irish-Aamerican journalist and politician... , 1997	Sunset Frog	Sunset Frog Sunset Frog The Sunset Frog is a species of ground-dwelling frog native to south-west Western Australia, Australia. It is the only species in the genus Spicospina... (Spicospina flammocaerulea)	-
Taudactylus Taudactylus Taudactylus is a genus of frogs in the family Myobatrachidae. These frogs are endemic to rainforest areas of coastal eastern Australia, most of this genus inhabit fast flowing streams in highland area. Most members of this genus have suffered serious declines, in which the disease chytridiomycosis... - 6 species Straughan and Lee, 1966	Torrent frogs	Eungella Torrent Frog Eungella Torrent Frog The Eungella Torrent Frog is a species of stream dwelling frog endemic to Australia. It is restricted to ranges west of Mackay in mid-eastern Queensland.-Physical description:... (Taudactylus eungellensis)
Uperoleia Uperoleia Uperoleia is a genus of frogs, native to Australia in the family Myobatrachidae. These are small squat frogs, more commonly known as "toadlets". They have glandular skin, often with a pair of raised glands behind each eye, or on the flanks.... - 24 species Gray John Edward Gray John Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray .... , 1841	Australian toadlets	Tyler's Toadlet Tyler's Toadlet Tyler's Toadlet is a species of ground frog that is found in coastal areas in southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria.-Physical description:... (Uperoleia tyleri)
Ranidae - 1 genus, 1 species
Genus	Common names	Example species	Example photo	Australian range
Rana Rana (genus) Rana is a genus of frogs. Species include such archetypal pond frogs as the common frog of Europe, brown frogs, and the New and Old World true frogs, including the various species of leopard frogs and the American bullfrog. Members of this genus are found through much of Eurasia, North America,... - 1 species Linnaeus Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology... , 1758	True frogs	Australian Wood Frog Australian Wood Frog The Australian wood frog , locally simply known as "the" wood frog, is the only species from the family Ranidae that occurs in Australia. The species is restricted to the rainforest of northern Queensland, the eastern border of Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory and much of New Guinea... (Rana daemeli)	-

All numbers in the above table refer to Australian amphibians.

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