The Moaning Frog is a burrowing frog native to south-western 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...

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Physical description

The Moaning Frog is rotund, with a large head and large, bulbous eyes. The dorsal surface is brown, with marbling of white, grey or yellow, and the ventral surface is white. The arms and legs are relatively small for burrowing frogs. Unlike most frogs of the genus Heleioporus, the male Moaning Frog lacks nuptial spines on the inner surface of first finger.

Males reach a length of 6.6 centimetres (2.6 in) and females reach a length of 6.3 centimetres (2.5 in).

Ecology and behaviour

The Moaning Frog is native to the coast of south-western Western Australia, Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is located off the coast of Western Australia, near Fremantle. It is called Wadjemup by the Noongar people, meaning "place across the water". The island is long, and at its widest point with a total land area of . It is classified as an A Class Reserve and is managed by the...

 and Bald Island

Bald Island

Bald Island is an island that is located in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. The island is offshore from Cheynes Beach and is a protected area which was declared a World Conservation Union Category IA nature reserve Bald Island is an island that is located in the Great Southern...

. It inhabits sandy swamps, where it burrows for protection from predators and desiccation. The males call from under the ground, and amplexus

Amplexus

Amplexus is a form of pseudocopulation in which a male amphibian grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process...

takes place in the burrow. Eighty to five hundred eggs are deposited in a foamy mass at the bottom of a burrow. The eggs undergo development within the foam, and delay from hatching until the burrows are flooded from rain. The tadpoles undergo normal aquatic development.