Rheobatrachus vitellinus
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Distribution map
Distribution Map of Rheobatrachus vitellinus
Copyright © Hal Cogger & Frogs Australia Network
Status
IUCN Classification:
Extinct
(International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Bioregion occurrence:
(this is not a distribution map)
State occurrence:
Links
- Northern Gastric Brooding Frog
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency page on Rheobatrachus vitellinus
Search on this family or genus
Rheobatrachus vitellinus
Family: Myobatrachidae
Common names: Northern Gastric Brooding Frog; Stream Frog; Northern Platypus Frog
Description: This frog was pale brown on its back with darker blotches. The under-surfaces of the arms and legs were bright yellow as is the lower abdomen. The rest of the belly was white to brown. The skin on the back was granular while the belly is smooth. The toes were webbed. The species has not been seen in the wild since March 1985, despite intensive searches.
Size: Males 55 mm; females 80 mm
Habitat: This aquatic frog lived in rainforests near fast flowing rocky creeks. It often hid under rocks in the water.
Call: Was loud and consisted of several staccato notes.Call available in 
Windows Media or 
Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © Keith McDonald.
Breeding: Males called from the water's edge in summer. This frog's breeding habits were very unique - it was a gastric brooder. The female swallowed the eggs after they had been fertilized and the tadpoles developed in her stomach. The froglets were eventually regurgitated.
Eggs: Were large and fertilized by the male before the female swallowed them.
Tadpoles: Tadpoles of this species developed within their mother's stomach.
Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from Rheobatrachus silus by its distribution and the yellow colour under its limbs and on its lower abdomen.
Conservation Information
Suspected threatening processes
- Disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses)
Population size: An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is 0-1000 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 known to be decreasing.
Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Nation-wide monitoring, but not with statistical sensitivity.
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 1-50 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: < 100 km².
Distribution trend: Area occupied has declined by 75-100%. (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: Distribution is well known and occurrence can be accurately predicted throughout the range.
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.
Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney.