AmphibiaWeb - Pseudophryne australis
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(Translations may not be accurate.)

Pseudophryne australis (Gray, 1835)
Red-crowned Toadlet
family: Myobatrachidae
subfamily: Limnodynastinae
genus: Pseudophryne

© 2013 Nathan Litjens (1 of 1)
Conservation Status (definitions)
IUCN Red List Status Account Vulnerable (VU)
CITES No CITES Listing
National Status None
Regional Status None

   

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Australia

 

View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
Occurs in Hawkesbury Sandstone region from the Royal National Park in the south to Gosford and Newcastle in the north. Species has majority of range in conservation reserves, but these are under increasing human pressure. Range highly restricted. Often found in colonies of 20 – 30 individuals. Populations at edge of range known to be decreasing and adversely affected by urbanisation and human mediated disturbances.The extent of occurrence of the species is approximately 17500 km2Historically found at 471 sites, in 1998 56 extant breeding sites.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Sydney sandstone specialist, around the Hawkesbury region. Prefers heath woodland and hides in sandstone rock crevices where water seepages have eroded a labyrinth of caverns and tunnels. Spring and summer breeder. Terrestrial egg layer with decreased clutch size (about 20) and increased egg size. Males have been observed tending the nest. Rainfall releases the tadpoles from the nests into ephemeral pools and tadpoles take 1 – 3 months to develop.

Trends and Threats
Entire population centred around intense human development. Pressure from human induced changes and interference likely to increase and become more widespread to cover whole of range, regardless of conservation status of habitat. Extent of occurrence < 20,000km2.

Threats
Increased fire regimes, hydrological changes and increased pollution levels (at edges and wherever human development encroaches into more core areas). Bush rock collection. Possibly changes in habitat through weed invasion. Increasing urban development in Sydney Basin area. Low recruitment rates, i.e. 1% of each clutch survives to metamorphosis.

Conservation Measures
Already majority of range in reserves.

Comments

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

Ehmann. Endangered Frogs. Frog and Tadpoles Study Group, Sydney.

Thumm and Mahony (1999) Loss and degradation of Red-crowned toadlet habitat in the Sydney Region. In. Alastair Campbell (Ed) Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs, Environment Austalia, Canberra. pp 99-108



Originally submitted by: Jean-Marc Hero et. al. (first posted 2002-04-05)
Edited by: Ambika Sopory, Jean-Marc Hero (2002-05-04)

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2002 Pseudophryne australis: Red-crowned Toadlet <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/3582> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Mar 28, 2024.



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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 28 Mar 2024.

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