Corroboree Frogs are Australia’s most iconic amphibian species and amongst the most visually spectacular frogs in the world. They can be readily distinguished by the bold yellow and black longitudinal stripes on its top, sides and legs. Its belly is marbled black, white and yellow. Both the males and females have the same colouration but females are slightly larger than males.
Source: Australian Geographic
Frog discovered
These frogs are found in swamps and sclerosing forests under logs, and sub-volcanic swamps in southeastern NSW and the ACT. Coming across these beautiful creatures is a rare and exciting thing to do. They are mainly nocturnal but are also sometimes active during the day on cloudy days.
Phone card
From bogs and marshes at high altitudes, male Corroboree will call the female during the mating season (January – February). This song is like a “cry” that begins the life cycle of these tiny amphibians.
Lovely house
Corroboree frogs use a variety of habitats to breed including puddles and seeps in sphagnum marshes, wet rubber grasslands, sandy beaches, and moist heather. They also feed and shelter in montane forests, subalpine forests and heather near livestock areas. Corroboree frogs usually breed in arid waters during the breeding season. Outside of the breeding season, Corroboree Frogs have been found sheltering in dense litter, under logs and rocks in nearby woodland and moist heather. Corroboree frogs have been spotted moving more than 300 meters into the surrounding forest after spawning.
Life cycle
Corroboree frogs have a typical amphibian life cycle with an aquatic tadpole stage and a terrestrial frog stage. Eggs develop to the advanced stage, before development stops and they enter a “pause” phase, where the embryos remain without further development, until flooding in the nest after the monsoon rains. Fall or winter stimulates them to bloom. After hatching, the tadpoles move out of the nesting site and into a neighboring tank where they live for the remainder of their larval period as a free-swimming and feeding tadpole.
The tadpoles of Corroboree Frog have a dark color, a relatively long paddle-shaped tail, and a total length of up to 30 mm. Tadpoles continue to grow slowly, especially during the winter when the pool can be covered with snow and ice, until metamorphosis in early summer.
Anti-fungal
Chytrid fungus is a disease that has affected frog populations globally, and has been identified as a major cause of worldwide decline in frog populations. The fungus is spread through water or direct contact with other frogs. It attacks their skin and affects their hearts. The chytrid fungus is not immediately lethal and can spread rapidly between frogs and water bodies.
Other threats to the Corroboree Frog are the impact of exotic plants that obscure breeding areas and shaded ponds that render these spaces unsuitable for frogs. Wild animals such as pigs and horses can also wreak havoc on frog habitats and breeding grounds. It is also possible that these animals carry and spread chytrid fungi between breeding sites.
Hero Alpine
In addition to being Australia’s iconic species, the Corroboree Frog is an important part of our natural heritage. They contribute to the richness of the alpine ecosystems where they are found, even if they are small tadpoles, remove algae from beautiful mountain ponds, keep the water crystal clear, beneficial for other aquatic plants and animals.
Taronga is committed to amphibians conservation and we are confident that through dedication and cooperation, indigenous frog species will continue to play an important role in Australia’s ecosystem for generations to come.
Come and meet us
Both Corroboree frogs are among the most endangered frogs in Australia. Taronga’s Corroboree Frog headquarters at Taronga Zoo Sydney is where, with the care of experts, we are breeding these iconic frogs for release in the wild.
Taronga is heavily involved in breeding and releasing the Corroboree frog into the wild as part of the National Recovery Program to help save the species. The Zoo’s breeding program has been so successful that we have released hundreds of frogs and thousands of eggs to increase wild populations in Kosciuszko National Park and Brindabella National Park. Saving the Corroboree frogs would represent an important achievement in the conservation of amphibians globally.
