Australian Frog Database

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Mixophyes fleayi

Family: Myobatrachidae
Common name: Fleay's Barred Frog

Description: This frog is pale brown on its back with darker blotches. There is an irregular dark brown band (often broken into blotches) starting between the eyes and running down the back. A dark stripe on the head starts in front of the nostril and continues through the eye to the tympanum (tight membrane covering the entrance to the ear). The arms and legs have dark bars which widen under the legs to form a triangular pattern. The sides of the body have dark spots and blotches, and the skin on the back is finely granular. The top half of the iris is silvery-white to pale blue. The belly is smooth and pale yellow. The toes are three-quarters webbed.

Size: 80 mm

Habitat: This frog lives in forests such as Antarctic Beech, wet sclerophyll and rainforests. It often hides in leaf litter near permanent fast-flowing streams.

Call: Individual males make an "ok-ok-ok-ok-ok" sound.Call available in Windows Media or Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © David Stewart.

Breeding: Males call in spring and summer from the banks of streams hidden in the leaf litter. The female creates a small hollowed-out nest in shallow flowing water (in the gravel or leaf-litter) and lays the eggs into it.

Eggs: Are large and clump together in the nest.

Tadpoles: Are fairly large and dark brown in colour, with a fine layer of gold flecks across the back. These tadpoles are fast swimmers and dart under rocks when disturbed.

Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from other species of Mixophyes by the spots on its sides, the top half of its iris is silvery or light blue and the triangular pattern on the backs of its thighs.

Conservation Information

Suspected threatening processes

• Direct human impact/urbanisation/tourism
• Inappropriate catchment management, including degraded water quality
• Disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses)

Population size: An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is 5001-10000 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: Trend unknown but population size suspected to be decreasing.

Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Monitored locally.

Population concentration: Majority concentrates at more than 25 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: Management mostly related to enforcement of conservation laws.

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 2-3 years.

Range size in Australia: The size of the geographic area over which the taxon is distributed: 101-1000 km².

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

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.