Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Australia

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Southwest and arid (central) zones of Western Australia. The extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 111800 km2

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Open woodland and dense scrub in sand hills or where soil is leached grey sand. Often found in association with termite nests as it feeds on termites. Otherwise found in soft sandy soils burried under logs and rocks. They avoid hard substrates and drainage channels. Emerges after rain. Breeds after heavy rain that triggers emergence. Males call from the soil surface or with only their heads uncovered. Eggs are very large and up to 40 are laid about 1 – 1.2m underground. Development is terrestrial and occurs within the egg capsule.

Trends and Threats
No known declines and extent of occurrence > 20,000km2.

Threats
None known.

Conservation Measures
None in place.

References

Barker, J., Grigg, G. C., and Tyler, M. J. (1995). A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty and Sons, New South Wales.

Cogger, H.G. (1992). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Reed Books, New South Wales.

Roberts, J.D. (1981). ''Terrestrial breeding in the Australian Leptodactylid frog Myobatrachus gouldii (Gray).'' Australian Wildlife Research, 8, 451-462.

Tyler, M.J., Smith, L.A., and Johnstone, R.E. (1994). Frogs of Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2008 Myobatrachus gouldii: Turtle Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3578> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jul 3, 2022.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2022. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 3 Jul 2022.

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