Eungella Torrent Frog
Encyclopedia
The Eungella Torrent Frog (Taudactylus eungellensis) is a species of stream dwelling frog endemic to Australia
. It is restricted to ranges west of Mackay
in mid-eastern Queensland
.
ranges from yellowish-tan to dark brown in colour with darker mottling. There is a X-shaped marking on the back. The front half of the head is usually lighter than the back half and the arms and legs have banding. The toes and feet have wedge-shaped pads and no webbing. The back is smooth or granular with a few low warts. The belly is smooth and deep yellow. The irises restrict horizontally and are golden. The tympanum
is indistinct.
rainforest
and tall open forests. It is found in and around flowing creeks. If alarmed the Eungella Torrent Frog may jump into the creek where it will hide beneath rocks until the danger has passed. Breeding may occur all year round but is most intense from November to December. Males make a soft tinkering sound barely audible over the sound of cascading water. Eggs are laid in clumps of 30-50. They are attached to the under surface of submerged rocks or logs. The Eungella Torrent Frog is the only Myobatrachidae
that is known to advertise its presence by the movement of its body and limbs. It is suspected that these movements are a form of courtship. These movements include: flicking and waving of legs, head bobbing, and distinctive hops.
This species is the only known Australian frog to go through an apparent period of absence, only to later reappear. The Eungella Torrent Frog was first noted to be in decline in the 1980s. From 1987 to 1992 the frog was not encountered, despite surveys. From 1992 onwards it has since been rediscovered at nine sites and populations appear to be slowly on the rise. Although these results are encouraging, populations have not rebounded to what they were before the decline, when they were still considered common. The cause for decline is believed to be the Chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
, however interestingly the frogs now seem to be able to coexist with the fungus that once caused their near extinction.
, and as Endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is restricted to ranges west of Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
in mid-eastern 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...
.
Physical description
It is a relatively small frog reaching 35mm in length. The head and body are slender and the limbs are long and lean. The dorsumDorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
ranges from yellowish-tan to dark brown in colour with darker mottling. There is a X-shaped marking on the back. The front half of the head is usually lighter than the back half and the arms and legs have banding. The toes and feet have wedge-shaped pads and no webbing. The back is smooth or granular with a few low warts. The belly is smooth and deep yellow. The irises restrict horizontally and are golden. The tympanum
Tympanum (zoology)
The tympanum is an external hearing structure in animals such as frogs, toads, insects, and mammals, to name a few.-Anurans:In frogs and toads, it is located just behind the eye. It does not actually process sound waves; it simply transmits them to the amphibian's inner ear, which is protected...
is indistinct.
Ecology and behaviour
This frog inhabits montaneMontane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and tall open forests. It is found in and around flowing creeks. If alarmed the Eungella Torrent Frog may jump into the creek where it will hide beneath rocks until the danger has passed. Breeding may occur all year round but is most intense from November to December. Males make a soft tinkering sound barely audible over the sound of cascading water. Eggs are laid in clumps of 30-50. They are attached to the under surface of submerged rocks or logs. The Eungella Torrent Frog is the only 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...
that is known to advertise its presence by the movement of its body and limbs. It is suspected that these movements are a form of courtship. These movements include: flicking and waving of legs, head bobbing, and distinctive hops.
This species is the only known Australian frog to go through an apparent period of absence, only to later reappear. The Eungella Torrent Frog was first noted to be in decline in the 1980s. From 1987 to 1992 the frog was not encountered, despite surveys. From 1992 onwards it has since been rediscovered at nine sites and populations appear to be slowly on the rise. Although these results are encouraging, populations have not rebounded to what they were before the decline, when they were still considered common. The cause for decline is believed to be the Chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a chytrid fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis. In the decade after it was first discovered in amphibians in 1998, the disease devastated amphibian populations around the world, in a global decline towards multiple extinctions, part of the Holocene...
, however interestingly the frogs now seem to be able to coexist with the fungus that once caused their near extinction.
Conservation status
It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
, and as Endangered under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992
Nature Conservation Act 1992
The Nature Conservation Act 1992 is an act of the Parliament of Queensland that provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it provided for biota to be declared presumed extinct, endangered, vulnerable, rare or common...
.