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Cyclorana novaehollandiae

Family: Hylidae
Common names: Eastern Snapping Frog; New Holland Frog

Description: This frog is pale grey, brown or yellowish on its back with darker brown fleck and blotches. Juveniles are often bright green or have green blotches. A dark streak runs from the snout, through the eye and the tympanum (tight membrane covering the entrance to the ear), and down the side of the body. A skin fold runs above this dark streak. A dark bar is usually present below the eye and may extend to the mouth. The backs of the thighs are grey or blue-tinged. The belly is finely granular and white. The skin on the back is smooth or has many tubercles (lumps). The toes are one third webbed.

Size: 100 mm

Habitat: This burrowing frog lives in coastal floodplains, woodlands, forests and savannahs. It usually only emerges after heavy rains.

Call: A deep "waah" or "honk" sound. Call available in Windows Media or Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © Keith McDonald.

Breeding: Males call after heavy rains during spring and autumn, from beside pools of water.

Eggs: Large non-foamy clumps of approximately 1000 eggs are laid in shallow water.

Tadpoles: Are large and dark brown to gold-brown in colour. Tadpoles of this species develop quickly in warm water.

Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from other species of Cyclorana by its size and colouration. Cyclorana novaehollandiae is suspected to hybridize with Cyclorana australis where the ranges of both species meet in northern Queensland.

Conservation Information

Suspected threatening processes

• Direct human impact/urbanisation/tourism
• Inappropriate catchment management, including degraded water quality
• Habitat modification (e.g. vegetation clearing, invasive weeds)

Population size: An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is >50000 individuals. Factors affecting population size and distribution are unknown or unsubstantiated.

Population trend in Australia over the past 50 years: Population trend unknown; no information on habitat changes.

Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Not currently monitored.

Population concentration: Not known to concentrate or exist in discrete locations. (e.g. the number of sites in which individuals group together either seasonally, such as breeding sites, or they may occupy discrete habitat patches within the broader landscape, such as discrete water bodies or drainage units.)

Ongoing management activities in Australia: None directed primarily at the taxon.

Reproductive potential for recovery: The average number of eggs deposited per adult female per year is 201-1000 eggs/female/year. Minimum age at which females are known or suspected to first reproduce is <2 years.

Range size in Australia: The size of the geographic area over which the taxon is distributed: > 1,000,000 km².

Distribution trend: Decline, if any, unknown. (This is an estimate of change in the portion of the total range that is occupied or utilised; it may not equal the change in total range.)

Knowledge of distribution in Australia: Broad range limits or habitat associations are known, but local occurrence cannot be predicted accurately.

References

Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney.

Barker, J., G.C. Grigg and M.J. Tyler. 1995. A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.

Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Reed Books: Sydney.

Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney.