Myobatrachidae
(see family information on Tree of Life site)
134 species in 21 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 SVL. 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. 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.
Their sister taxon is Limnodynastidae.
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
Relevant 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.
Subfamily Limnodynastinae (66 species)
Genus Adelotus (1 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Adelotus brevis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Heleioporus (6 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Heleioporus albopunctatus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Heleioporus australiacus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Heleioporus barycragus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Heleioporus eyrei AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Heleioporus inornatus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Heleioporus psammophilus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Lechriodus (4 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Lechriodus aganoposis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Lechriodus fletcheri AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Lechriodus melanopyga no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Lechriodus platyceps no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Limnodynastes (11 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Limnodynastes convexiusculus AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Limnodynastes depressus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes dorsalis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes dumerilii AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Limnodynastes fletcheri AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes interioris AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes lignarius AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Limnodynastes peronii AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Limnodynastes salmini AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Limnodynastes tasmaniensis AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Limnodynastes terraereginae AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video
Genus Mixophyes (8 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Mixophyes balbus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Mixophyes carbinensis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Mixophyes coggeri AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fasciolatus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Mixophyes fleayi AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Mixophyes hihihorlo no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Mixophyes iteratus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Mixophyes schevilli AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video
Genus Neobatrachus (10 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Neobatrachus albipes AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus aquilonius AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus centralis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus fulvus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus kunapalari AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus pelobatoides AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus pictus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus sudelli AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Neobatrachus sutor AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Neobatrachus wilsmorei AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Notaden (4 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Notaden bennettii AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Notaden melanoscaphus AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Notaden nichollsi AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Notaden weigeli AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Philoria (6 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Philoria frosti AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Philoria kundagungan AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Philoria loveridgei AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Philoria pughi AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Philoria richmondensis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Philoria sphagnicolus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Platyplectrum (2 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Platyplectrum ornatum AmphibiaWeb account photos sound/video Platyplectrum spenceri AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Pseudophryne (14 species) [subfamily Limnodynastinae]
Pseudophryne australis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne bibronii AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne coriacea AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne corroboree AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne covacevichae AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne dendyi AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne douglasi AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne guentheri AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne major AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Pseudophryne occidentalis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne pengilleyi AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne raveni AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne robinsoni no AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Pseudophryne semimarmorata AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Subfamily Myobatrachinae (68 species)Genus Arenophryne (2 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Arenophryne rotunda AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Arenophryne xiphorhyncha no AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Assa (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Assa darlingtoni AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Crinia (17 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Genus Geocrinia (7 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Geocrinia alba AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia laevis AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia leai AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia lutea AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia rosea AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Geocrinia victoriana AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Geocrinia vitellina AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Metacrinia (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Metacrinia nichollsi AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Myobatrachus (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Myobatrachus gouldii AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Paracrinia (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Paracrinia haswelli AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Rheobatrachus (2 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Rheobatrachus silus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Rheobatrachus vitellinus AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video
Genus Spicospina (1 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Spicospina flammocaerulea AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video
Genus Taudactylus (6 species) [subfamily Myobatrachinae]
Taudactylus acutirostris AmphibiaWeb account no photos sound/video Taudactylus diurnus AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Taudactylus eungellensis AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Taudactylus liemi AmphibiaWeb account photos no sound/video Taudactylus pleione AmphibiaWeb account no photos no sound/video Taudactylus rheophilus AmphibiaWeb 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.