Anstisia rosea

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 2.5 cm in body length. It has a brown or black back. There is a pants-shaped marking, which is visible only if the back is lighter brown, that starts between the eyes and splits in the middle of the back, narrowing to two points on the lower back. The upper lip and sides are sometimes rose pink. The belly is rose pink; the male has a black throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs. This species was previously in the genus Geocrinia, but recent research has recognised this species, along with three other closely related species, as distinct and placed them in the newly-described genus Anstisia, in honour of Australian Museum Research Associate Dr Marion Anstis.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as a small cluster on land in wet soil burrows, leaf litter, or inside rotting logs near creeks and swamps. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 1.5 cm and are grey-brown in colour, with metallic bright blue specks. They never swim in water; instead they develop inside the broken egg jelly mass, feeding entirely on their own gut yolk reserves. They take at least two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to summer.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Crinia georgiana, Crinia glauerti, Crinia insignifera, Crinia pseudinsignifera, Crinia subinsignifera, Geocrinia leai, and Anstisia lutea in its distribution, but has a different belly colour to all of these species.