Fleay's Barred Frog
Encyclopedia
The Fleay's Barred Frog (Mixophyes fleayi) is a large species of frog restricted to small pockets of rainforest in northern New South Wales
and south-eastern Queensland
, Australia
.
in Queensland in the north, to Yabbra Scrub in northern New South Wales to the south. The majority of the population occurs in rainforests above 400m, however it is also known from some lowland rainforest sites. This species has declined from many sites in Queensland since 1970s. It is currently known from Conondale and Main Range, Springbrook and Lamington Plateaux and Mount Barney in Queensland and Border Ranges, Mount Warning, Nightcap Range and Yabbra and Tooloom Scrub in New South Wales. Historical area of occurrence is about 7000 km². This species has disappeared completely from Bunya Mountains and Mount Tamborine in Queensland.
. The arms and legs have 7-8 narrow dark bars. The flanks have scattered dark spots and blotches. The top third of the iris is silvery to pale blue, the bottom two thirds are brown. The upper lip is spotted with brown. The ventral surface is smooth and pale yellow or white. The toes are three-quarters webbed. The frog was named after Australian naturalist
David Fleay
.
This species is associated with flowing streams and creeks in rainforest and adjacent wet scleophyll and Antarctic Beech forest. Males make a "ok-ok-ok-ok-ok" or "arrrrk" call from leaf litter beside streams after rain during spring and summer. Eggs are laid in a dug out nest in gravel and leaf litter in shallow flowing water. Tadpoles are large, reaching 65mm in length. Metamorphosis takes about 200 days and metamorphs measure about 20mm and resemble the adult, except the iris colour is copper-red.
The extent of decline of this species has been difficult to measure due to the lack of historical records of sites and abundance.
(Mixophyes balbus) of which it can only be distinguished by the presence of mottling on the flanks. The Great Barred Frog
(Mixophyes fasciolatus) and Giant Barred Frog
(Mixophyes iterauts) also occur in the same area as this species. Eye colour is best used to distinguish them, as it is different in all 3 species.
and Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992
.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and south-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...
, Australia
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...
.
Distribution
This species has a fragmented distribution in wet forests from Conondale RangeConondale Range
The Conondale Range is a mountain range in Queensland, located between Maleny, Kenilworth, Kilcoy and Jimna. The range is the most westerly part of the Sunshine Coast hinterland and part of the Great Dividing Range. The highest point on the range is Mount Langley reaching 868 m above sea level...
in Queensland in the north, to Yabbra Scrub in northern New South Wales to the south. The majority of the population occurs in rainforests above 400m, however it is also known from some lowland rainforest sites. This species has declined from many sites in Queensland since 1970s. It is currently known from Conondale and Main Range, Springbrook and Lamington Plateaux and Mount Barney in Queensland and Border Ranges, Mount Warning, Nightcap Range and Yabbra and Tooloom Scrub in New South Wales. Historical area of occurrence is about 7000 km². This species has disappeared completely from Bunya Mountains and Mount Tamborine in Queensland.
Physical description
Fleay's Barred Frog is a moderately large species of frog, up to 90mm in length. It is light brown with darker blotches and is finely granular on the dorsal surface. There is an irregular darker brown band starting behind the eyes and continuing down the back. A dark stripe on the head starts in front of the nostril and continues through the eye to the tympanumTympanum (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...
. The arms and legs have 7-8 narrow dark bars. The flanks have scattered dark spots and blotches. The top third of the iris is silvery to pale blue, the bottom two thirds are brown. The upper lip is spotted with brown. The ventral surface is smooth and pale yellow or white. The toes are three-quarters webbed. The frog was named after Australian naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
David Fleay
David Fleay
David Howells Fleay was an Australian naturalist who pioneered the captive breeding of endangered species, and was the first person to breed the platypus in captivity....
.
Ecology and behaviour
The extent of decline of this species has been difficult to measure due to the lack of historical records of sites and abundance.
Similar species
This species is similar to other frogs in the Mixophys genus, particularly the Stuttering FrogStuttering Frog
The Stuttering Frog is a large species of frog that inhabits temperate and sub-tropical rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest in Australia.-Distribution:...
(Mixophyes balbus) of which it can only be distinguished by the presence of mottling on the flanks. The Great Barred Frog
Great Barred Frog
The Great Barred Frog is an Australian ground-dwelling frog of the genus Mixophyes.-Physical description:...
(Mixophyes fasciolatus) and 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...
(Mixophyes iterauts) also occur in the same area as this species. Eye colour is best used to distinguish them, as it is different in all 3 species.
Conservation status
It is listed as Endangered under both 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 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...
.