Pseudophryne major

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a grey or blue-grey back, often with a large area of orange-red from the tip of the snout along the middle, and an indistinct orange-red longitudinal stripe on the lower back that ends as a bright yellow spot. The side is grey-brown with dark brown spots. The belly has black and white marbling, and the male has a dark throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. The tops of the arms are bright yellow at the shoulder. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as one small cluster on land under moist leaf litter, logs, and rocks, and in muddy holes in the ground near small creeks, swamps, and temporary ditches. The nest is guarded by the male, as it is with other Pseudophryne species. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 3 cm, and are dark or light brown-gold in colour. They are released into water bodies after the nest is flooded by rain. It is unknown how long they take to develop into frogs once released. Breeds during autumn to spring.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Pseudophryne bibronii, Pseudophryne coriacea, and Pseudophryne raveni in its distribution, but lacks the clearly separated side and back colours of Pseudophryne coriacea and Pseudophryne raveni, and has a different back colour to Pseudophryne bibronii.