Australian Frog Database

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Mixophyes iteratus

Family: Myobatrachidae
Common names: Giant Barred Frog; Southern Barred Frog

Description: This frog is dark olive to black on its back, with irregular dark brown blotches starting between the eyes and running down the back. There is also a thin stripe running from the snout through the eye. The arms and legs have wide dark bars and there is a broad band of dark spots and blotches down the sides of the body. The iris is golden above and dark below. The belly is smooth and white. The toes are fully webbed and the back is finely granular.

Size: 115 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: A deep guttural grunt.

Breeding: Males call in spring and summer from the banks of streams, amongst the leaf litter. As the male and female mate the female kicks her legs and sprays some water and her eggs onto the bank.

Eggs: Are large and attach to leaves, rocks and grasses above the surface of the water.

Tadpoles: Are large and gold in colour, with some dark banding. These colours provide excellent camouflage for the tadpoles against rock surfaces.

Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from other species of Mixophyes by the spots on its sides, the wide banding on its legs and the iris which is golden in the upper half and darker in the lower half.

Conservation Information

Suspected threatening processes

• Direct human impact/urbanisation/tourism
• Inappropriate catchment management, including degraded water quality
• Exotic predators (e.g. trout, Gambusia)
• Disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses)
• 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 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 >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: 1001-80000 km² (up to 1% area of Australia or about the area of Tasmania).

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.