Cyclorana vagitus
Encyclopedia
Cyclorana vagitus, the Wailing Frog, is a tree frog
occupying the arid and monsoonal Kimberley (Western Australia) region. A member of the predominantly Australian Cyclorana
genus, it is a ground dweller, which evades dry periods by burrowing and hibernating - emerging to breed during floods.
.
Like many of the Australian Cyclorana
cogenors, it can burrow and enter a state of aestivation. By hibernating it can avoid the arid conditions of the kimberley region and emerge to take advantage of the intermittent flooding of its open grassland habitat.
The range of the species is in the far north of Western Australia
, overlapping the Northern Territory
, in a tropical monsoon
climate. It has a description based on the two known locations, which occur in open grassland, in a range of intermittent water sources. It lives from sea level to an altitude of 900 m. Based on the identified groups, population is estimated at 10 000 to 50 000.
The males commence breeding by crying at floodways - this is frequently heard - with females responding by releasing up to 1000 eggs during a wet season. The tadpoles develop rapidly before evaporation of the floodwaters.
. The species is given a least concern LC
status by the IUCN. The species is presumed to be secure due to high populations and wide dispersal in its range. No study of any trends of these has been under taken.
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:...
occupying the arid and monsoonal Kimberley (Western Australia) region. A member of the predominantly Australian 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, it is a ground dweller, which evades dry periods by burrowing and hibernating - emerging to breed during floods.
Description
The back of the frog is brown or grey with darker brown or green markings, underside is white with a granular appearance. The toes are slightly webbed and a dark line extends from the leg to snout. A lighter stripe runs down the back. The call is a repeated wailing or cry. It has a shorter cry and is larger than Cyclorana cultripes.Ecology
C. vagitus is a terrestrial frog and lacks the aboreal appendages of the similar genus LitoriaLitoria
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...
.
Like many of the Australian 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...
cogenors, it can burrow and enter a state of aestivation. By hibernating it can avoid the arid conditions of the kimberley region and emerge to take advantage of the intermittent flooding of its open grassland habitat.
The range of the species is in the far north of 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...
, overlapping the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, in a tropical monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
climate. It has a description based on the two known locations, which occur in open grassland, in a range of intermittent water sources. It lives from sea level to an altitude of 900 m. Based on the identified groups, population is estimated at 10 000 to 50 000.
The males commence breeding by crying at floodways - this is frequently heard - with females responding by releasing up to 1000 eggs during a wet season. The tadpoles develop rapidly before evaporation of the floodwaters.
Threatened status
No threats have been identified and the species is located within a protected areaProtected areas of Western Australia
Western Australia is the second largest subnational entity in the world. It contains no fewer than 1224 separate Protected Areas with a total area of 170,610 km²...
. The species is given a least concern LC
Least Concern
Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...
status by the IUCN. The species is presumed to be secure due to high populations and wide dispersal in its range. No study of any trends of these has been under taken.
Further reading
- Tyler, M.J., Smith, L.A. and Johnstone, R.E 2000. Frogs of Western Australia. 3rd edition. Western Australian Museum, Perth.