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Cyclorana vagitus

Wailing Frog

Conservation Status

EPBC:

Unlisted

IUCN:

Least Concern

Calling Period

Possible
Yes
Peak
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 5 cm in body length. It has a grey or brown back, with indistinct dark brown or olive-green patches, and a cream-coloured longitudinal stripe along the middle. The belly is white, and the male has a dark grey throat. The pupil is horizontal and the iris is gold in the upper half, and grey in the lower half. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are half-webbed, both without discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as small clusters or strings near the surface of the water in flooded ditches, temporary ponds, and flooded grassland. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8 cm, and are grey-brown in colour. They often swim at all depths of water bodies and take around one month to develop into frogs. Breeds during summer in the wet season.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Cyclorana cultripes, Cyclorana longipes and Cyclorana maculosa in its distribution, but has a different back colour pattern to Cyclorana maculosa and mostly different distribution, to Cyclorana cultripes.

Images

Photo: Nathan Litjens

Photo: Marion Anstis

Calls

By: Paul Doughty

Distribution

Found in the Kimberley region of WA and just across the border into the NT.

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