The rare southern toadlet was recorded near the Holden Proving Grounds in 2005. Photo: John Wombey, courtesy of CSIRO LOCAL frog expert Brendan Casey is calling for volunteers to listen out for a rare frog that’s about to start calling.
The southern toadlet was advisory listed as endangered in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act in 2021. “That’s when the authorities realised the known populations were crashing,” Dr Brendan Casey said during a talk at the South Gippsland Conservation Society on Saturday.
The species decline can be linked to habitat destruction with land development threatening the remaining populations in southern Victoria.
The southern toadlet was advisory listed as endangered in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act in 2021. “That’s when the authorities realised the known populations were crashing,” Dr Brendan Casey said during a talk at the South Gippsland Conservation Society on Saturday.
The species decline can be linked to habitat destruction with land development threatening the remaining populations in southern Victoria.
With the frog becoming rarer, Dr Casey turned to the records and found there were five recordings of southern toadlets near the Holden Proving Ground in 2005. He says there is every chance the frog has dispersed in the Western Port Woodlands.
With the owners’ permission, Dr Casey has set up his recording equipment on a couple of private properties near the Holden Proving Ground.
Now he wants others to listen out as well. April is the toadlet’s mating season and there are very specific parameters that make it reasonably easy to recognise and record the species if it is around.
The male starts calling just before a rain event of about 10 to 20ml or more and before the night temperature falls below 10 degrees. The eggs are laid on the ground and the rain washes the fertilised eggs from the land into the wetland habitat where they develop into tadpoles and frogs.
Dr Casey says people should download the Australian Museum’s Frog ID app to their phone and use it to record the frog call. Once they’ve submitted the recording, it will be verified by the Australian Museum. Frog ID also has recordings of the southern toadlet.
If you are lucky enough to get a photo of a southern toadlet, send it to iNaturalist for verification.
If you get a positive ID please contact Save Western Port Woodlands at savewesternportwoodlands@gmail.com. Finding a population would help the current community campaign to protect the woodlands.
Recordings outside the nature conservation reserves, on roadsides and private land, are particularly valuable.
With rain forecast for much of next week, now is the time to download the app ready to head out into the woodlands with your recorder.
With the owners’ permission, Dr Casey has set up his recording equipment on a couple of private properties near the Holden Proving Ground.
Now he wants others to listen out as well. April is the toadlet’s mating season and there are very specific parameters that make it reasonably easy to recognise and record the species if it is around.
The male starts calling just before a rain event of about 10 to 20ml or more and before the night temperature falls below 10 degrees. The eggs are laid on the ground and the rain washes the fertilised eggs from the land into the wetland habitat where they develop into tadpoles and frogs.
Dr Casey says people should download the Australian Museum’s Frog ID app to their phone and use it to record the frog call. Once they’ve submitted the recording, it will be verified by the Australian Museum. Frog ID also has recordings of the southern toadlet.
If you are lucky enough to get a photo of a southern toadlet, send it to iNaturalist for verification.
If you get a positive ID please contact Save Western Port Woodlands at savewesternportwoodlands@gmail.com. Finding a population would help the current community campaign to protect the woodlands.
Recordings outside the nature conservation reserves, on roadsides and private land, are particularly valuable.
With rain forecast for much of next week, now is the time to download the app ready to head out into the woodlands with your recorder.