Philoria frosti
Baw Baw Frog
Conservation Status
Calling Period
Description
A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 5.5 cm in body length. It has a dark grey, dark brown, or pink-brown back. There is often a large yellow patch covering the head and upper half of the back. The belly is cream-coloured or pale yellow, with brown specks. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is dark brown. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs. The female has large flanges on the first and second finger, which help to whip up protective foam around the eggs as they are laid.
Breeding Biology
Eggs are laid as a small foamy mass in soaks and wet drainage lines under rocks, logs, and moss. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 2.5 cm and are mostly transparent white, only developing dark brown colour in later growth stages. They often remain inside the broken-down egg mass feeding on their own gut yolk reserves, and take around one to two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during late spring to summer.
Similar Species
Does not look similar to any other species in its distribution.
Images
Photo: Hal Cogger
Calls
By: Deon Gilbert
Distribution
Found only on the Mt Baw Baw plateau east of Melbourne, in VIC. It has declined severely due to the amphibian chytrid fungus, experiencing a 98% population loss since 1985. There is a captive breeding program currently in place to help prevent its extinction.