Myobatrachidae |  |
136 species in 22 genera
Commonly Called Australian Water Frogs, Australian Froglets, Toadlets, Ground Frogs, Turtle Frogs
Limnodynastes dumerilii
Photo by Sean Schoville
(Click for family gallery)This assemblage of frogs is made up of 21 genera, distributed in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. They range in size from 20 - 110 mm snout-vent length. Developmental life histories vary from having aquatic larvae to terrestrial direct developing to eggs/tadpoles which are brooded within 2 slit-like pouches at the hip region (e.g., Assa darlingtoni). Members of the now extinct genus Rheobatrachus were able to 'swallow' their eggs and brood the developing larvae in their stomach while shutting off gastric production. Different morphotypes exist within this family, from squat, short-legged, thick-snouted forward burrowers to backward burrowers and unmodified terrestrial or semi-aquatic body forms. Much is still to be discovered about their natural histories.
Many species are endangered and several are listed as extinct, including the gastric-brooding species of genus Rheobatrachus and Taudactylus diurnus.
Written by AmphibiaWebNotable Family Characteristics
- Terrestrial most, and a few fossorial
- Inhabits a variety of forests, open grasslands, streamsides
- A variety of reproductive modes, especially development from aquatic larvae to terrestrial direct development to brooded tadpoles in specialized pouches or in the stomachs of the parent
- Morphological characters for this family are: 1) lack of fusion of the first two presacral vertebrae; 2) broad and wing-like shape of alary processes of the hyoid (except in Rheobatrachus); 3) small or absent finger/toe discs; 4) presence of the periaxial sheath enclosing the axial fiber of the sperm flagellum.
- Distribution limited to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea
Cartography Credit: Zoe Yoo, UC Berkeley
Range maps sources: AmphibiaWeb, UC Berkeley, and IUCN RedListRelevant Reference
Pough, F. H., R. M. Andrews, M. L. Crump, A. H. Savitzky, K. D. Wells, and M. C. Brandley. 2015. Herpetology. Fourth Edition. Massachusetts: Sinauer.
Vitt, L. J., and J. P. Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology. An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles. Fourth Edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier.
Genus Mixophyes (9 species)
Mixophyes australis no account no photos no sound/video Mixophyes balbus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes carbinensis account photos no sound/video Mixophyes coggeri account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fasciolatus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fleayi account photos sound/video Mixophyes hihihorlo no account no photos no sound/video Mixophyes iteratus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes schevilli account photos sound/video
Subfamily Limnodynastinae (66 species)Genus Adelotus (1 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Adelotus brevis account photos no sound/video
Genus Heleioporus (6 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Heleioporus albopunctatus account photos no sound/video Heleioporus australiacus account photos no sound/video Heleioporus barycragus account no photos no sound/video Heleioporus eyrei account photos no sound/video Heleioporus inornatus account no photos no sound/video Heleioporus psammophilus account no photos no sound/video
Genus Lechriodus (4 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Lechriodus aganoposis account no photos no sound/video Lechriodus fletcheri account photos no sound/video Lechriodus melanopyga no account no photos no sound/video Lechriodus platyceps no account no photos no sound/video
Genus Limnodynastes (11 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Limnodynastes convexiusculus account photos sound/video Limnodynastes depressus account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes dorsalis account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes dumerilii account photos sound/video Limnodynastes fletcheri account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes interioris account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes lignarius account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes peronii account photos sound/video Limnodynastes salmini account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes tasmaniensis account photos sound/video Limnodynastes terraereginae account photos sound/video
Genus Mixophyes (9 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Mixophyes australis no account no photos no sound/video Mixophyes balbus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes carbinensis account photos no sound/video Mixophyes coggeri account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fasciolatus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fleayi account photos sound/video Mixophyes hihihorlo no account no photos no sound/video Mixophyes iteratus account photos no sound/video Mixophyes schevilli account photos sound/video
Genus Neobatrachus (9 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Neobatrachus albipes account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus aquilonius account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus fulvus account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus kunapalari account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus pelobatoides account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus pictus account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus sudellae account photos no sound/video Neobatrachus sutor account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus wilsmorei account no photos no sound/video
Genus Notaden (4 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Notaden bennettii account photos no sound/video Notaden melanoscaphus account photos sound/video Notaden nichollsi account photos no sound/video Notaden weigeli account photos no sound/video
Genus Philoria (7 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Philoria frosti account no photos no sound/video Philoria knowlesi no account no photos no sound/video Philoria kundagungan account photos no sound/video Philoria loveridgei account no photos no sound/video Philoria pughi account photos no sound/video Philoria richmondensis account photos no sound/video Philoria sphagnicolus account no photos no sound/video
Genus Platyplectrum (2 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Platyplectrum ornatum account photos sound/video Platyplectrum spenceri account photos no sound/video
Genus Pseudophryne (14 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Pseudophryne australis account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne bibronii account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne coriacea account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne corroboree account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne covacevichae account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne dendyi account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne douglasi account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne guentheri account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne major account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne occidentalis account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne pengilleyi account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne raveni account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne robinsoni no account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne semimarmorata account no photos no sound/video
Subfamily Myobatrachinae (69 species)Genus Anstisia (4 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Anstisia alba account no photos no sound/video Anstisia lutea account no photos no sound/video Anstisia rosea account no photos no sound/video Anstisia vitellina account no photos no sound/video
Genus Arenophryne (2 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Arenophryne rotunda account photos no sound/video Arenophryne xiphorhyncha no account photos no sound/video
Genus Assa (2 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Assa darlingtoni account photos no sound/video Assa wollumbin account no photos no sound/video
Genus Crinia (17 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Crinia bilingua account photos no sound/video Crinia deserticola account photos sound/video Crinia fimbriata no account no photos no sound/video Crinia flindersensis account no photos no sound/video Crinia georgiana account photos no sound/video Crinia glauerti account no photos no sound/video Crinia insignifera account no photos no sound/video Crinia nimbus account no photos no sound/video Crinia parinsignifera account photos sound/video Crinia pseudinsignifera account no photos no sound/video Crinia remota account photos no sound/video Crinia riparia account no photos no sound/video Crinia signifera account photos sound/video Crinia sloanei account photos no sound/video Crinia subinsignifera account photos no sound/video Crinia tasmaniensis account no photos no sound/video Crinia tinnula account photos no sound/video
Genus Geocrinia (3 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Geocrinia laevis account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia leai account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia victoriana account photos no sound/video
Genus Metacrinia (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Metacrinia nichollsi account no photos no sound/video
Genus Myobatrachus (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Myobatrachus gouldii account photos no sound/video
Genus Paracrinia (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Paracrinia haswelli account no photos no sound/video
Genus Rheobatrachus (2 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Rheobatrachus silus account photos no sound/video Rheobatrachus vitellinus account no photos no sound/video
Genus Spicospina (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Spicospina flammocaerulea account photos no sound/video
Genus Taudactylus (6 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Taudactylus acutirostris account no photos sound/video Taudactylus diurnus account photos no sound/video Taudactylus eungellensis account photos no sound/video Taudactylus liemi account photos no sound/video Taudactylus pleione account no photos no sound/video Taudactylus rheophilus account no photos sound/video
Genus Uperoleia (29 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Citation: AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. Berkeley, California: AmphibiaWeb. Available: https://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed:AmphibiaWeb's policy on data use.