Distribution and Habitat
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Australia
Occurring over most of eastern Australia (South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, central
Queensland and Tasmania) and extending along the eastern seaboard. Its presence in the
Kununurra district in north-eastern Western Australia is believed to be the result of an accidental
introduction via the relocation of several hundred transportable homes from Adelaide. The
extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 2,381,900 km2.
Widely distributed and abundant.
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors Typically found in marshy country, particularly in the vicinity of grass-lined streams and ponds or
flooded paddocks. By day hides under logs, stones and debris near the water's edge. In
Western Australia it is confined to roadside situations at the base of dense grasses.
Breeding can occur at anytime during the year but most commonly between August and March.
Males call from the edge of shallow water, partly concealed by vegetation. The species lays
floating foam nests of 90 to 1350 eggs in water attached to emergent vegetation. Tadpoles take
3 to 5 months to develop, but may be shorter in the warmer climate of Western Australia. Some
sites have been recorded as having non-foamy egg masses. This species can reproduce at 80 to 100 days after metamorphosis.
Trends and Threats No known declines and large extent of occurrence.
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.
Horton, P. (1982). ''Precocious reproduction in the Australian frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis.'' Herpetologica, 38(4), 486-489.
Martin, A.A. and Tyler, M.J. (1978). ''The Introduction into Western Australia of the frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Gunther.'' Australian Zoologist, 19(3), 321-325.
Roberts, J.D. and Seymour, R.S. (1989). ''Non-foamy egg masses in Limnodynastes tasmaniensis (Anura: Myobatrachidae) from South Australia.'' Copeia, 1989(2), 488-492.
Tyler, M.J., Smith, L.A., and Johnstone, R.E. (1994). Frogs of Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth.
Originally submitted by: Jean-Marc Hero (first posted 2002-04-05)
Edited by: Ambika Sopory (2010-12-01)Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2010 Limnodynastes tasmaniensis: Spotted Grass Frog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3513> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Dec 23, 2024.
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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 23 Dec 2024.
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