Heleioporus eyrei
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Distribution map
Distribution Map of Heleioporus eyrei
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Status
IUCN Classification:
Not listed
(International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Bioregion occurrence:
(this is not a distribution map)
State occurrence:
Links
- Moaning Frog
AmphibiaWeb page on Heleioporus eyrei
Search on this family or genus
Heleioporus eyrei
Family: Myobatrachidae
Common name: Moaning Frog
Description: This frog is brown on its back with some irregular white, yellow or grey marbling that extends to the sides of the body. The sides also have small white spots. The belly is white. The skin on the back is granular, while the belly is smooth. The tympanum is not always distinct. The toes have some slight webbing. This is the only species of Heleioporus where the males lack nuptial spines.
Size: Up to 60 mm
Habitat: This frog lives in sandy or peaty swamps and bogs.
Call: A long, slowly repeated moan. Males often synchronise their calls with all males calling together. Call available in 
Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © Dale Roberts.
Breeding: Occurs during April, May and June. The males call from their burrows and this is also where the pair mates.
Eggs: Are large and laid in a frothy mass.
Tadpoles: Develop in the frothy mass until hatching, which occurs when the burrow is flooded.
Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from other species of Heleioporus by the combination of its size, call and lack of nuptial spines.
Conservation Information
Suspected threatening processes
- Direct human impact/urbanisation/tourism
- 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. Some factors affecting population size and distribution are known, but 1 or more major factors are unknown.
Population trend in Australia over the past 50 years: Population size stable or suspected to be stable or increasing.
Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Monitored locally.
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: 1001-80000 km² (up to 1% area of Australia or about the area of Tasmania).
Distribution trend: Area occupied has declined by < 25%. (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
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.