Wallum sedge frog

The wallum sedge frog or olongburra frog (Litoria olongburensis) is a frog from eastern Australia. It lives in Queensland and New South Wales.[3][4][1]

Wallum sedge frog
Wallum Sedgefrog is a ‘vulnerable’ species living on Straddie.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pelodryadidae
Genus: Litoria
Species:
L. olongburensis
Binomial name
Litoria olongburensis
Synonyms[2]
  • Litoria olongburensis (Liem and Ingram, 1977)
  • Dryomantis olongburensis (Wells and Wellington, 1985)

The adult male frogs is 25 mm long from nose to rear end and the female is 27 to 31 mm long. It is gray, brown or bright green, with blue or orange colour on its legs. It has brown and white stripes and a white belly. It has only a little webbing on the front feet and more on the hind feet. It has large discs on its toes for climbing. It has vomerine teeth in its upper jaw.[3]

This frog lives near the ocean and on islands with sandy soil. It lives in creeks and marshes that have acidic water (pH 2.8-5.5), such as wallums.[5][4] If the water becomes less acidic, then other frogs move in and eat all the food.[3] Adult frogs climb on sedge plants during the day.[6]

This frog lays eggs in acidic water (pH < 6) in temporary or semi-permanent swamps. They lay eggs 200-1000 at a time near sedge plants.[3]

This frog is also in danger because humans like to build things in the places where they live. Humans like beaches and seashores, so they sometimes walk over the grasses and shore plants where the frog likes to hide during the day. Scientists also think the fungal disease chytridiomycosis might be killing these frogs.[3]

Feral pigs like this one in Canberra can disturb wallum sedge frog habitat.

Scientists think this frog is also in danger because of invasive species. Plants from other places might change the places where these frogs like to live. Frogs from other places eat all their food. Fish from other places, such as mosquito fish, eat the tadpoles and eggs. Feral pigs can also run through the wallums and damage them.[3][4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Harry Hines; David Newell; Ed Meyer; Jean-Marc Hero; John Clarke (2004). "Litoria olongburensis". 2004. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: T41037A10392098. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41037A10392098.en. Retrieved June 28, 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. "Litoria olongburensis (Liem and Ingram, 1977)". Amphibian Species of the World 6.0, an Online Reference. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Litoria olongburensis — Wallum Sedge Frog". Australian Government: Department of Water, Agriculture and the Environment. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 J-M Hero; H. Hines; E. Meyers; R. Goldingay; L. Shoo; M. St (March 15, 2002). "Litoria olongburensis: Olongburra Frog, Wallum Sedgefrog". Amphibiaweb. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  5. "Olongburra Frog - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment & Heritage. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  6. Jon D. Shuker; John-Marc Hero (2012). "Perch substrate use by the threatened wallum sedge frog (Litoria olongburensis) in wetland habitats of mainland eastern Australia". Australian J. Of Zoology. 60 (4): 219–224. doi:10.1071/ZO12030. hdl:10072/51746. S2CID 85313350. Retrieved June 28, 2020.