Australian Museum Herpetology Blogs

Read the latest blogs from Australian Museum Herpetology team.

Updated

21/12/22

Our latest research news

Will you answer the call? Help us understand how your local frogs are faring

In winter 2021, thousands of dead frogs were reported across Australia. To help us understand the impact of this event on our frogs, we need your help.

2 November 2022

Common eastern froglet (<i>Crinia signifera</i>) calling.

It’s a date: Citizen science data reveals what triggers frogs to breed

How do frogs know when to breed? Frogs tune into their environment, which holds important clues as to when the conditions are suitable for breeding. But what clues exactly?

18 October 2022

The southernmost member of the Green Stream Frog group, the Southern Green Stream Frog (Litoria nudidigitus).

Hear the difference: Citizen science deciphers the distributions of the mysterious Green Stream Frogs

How have thousands of people eavesdropping on calling frogs revolutionised our understanding of some of our most cryptic frogs? Dr Jodi Rowley and Tim Cutajar at the Australian Museum find out.

10 October 2022

The Crucifix Frog (Notaden bennettii), one of 248 frog species whose distribution maps have been updated for the Australian Frog Atlas. The new map for this species incorporates two large extensions of its previously known range

Australian Frog Atlas: Revealing the true distributions of Australia’s frogs with the help of citizen scientists

The most detailed maps of Australia’s frogs have now been produced and are open access for frog research and conservation.

29 June 2022

Working together to help our frogs

Frogs are still mysteriously dying across Australia. Thanks to hundreds of caring frog enthusiasts, we are working together to investigate the cause.

6 September 2022

A pair of Peron’s Tree Frogs (Litoria peronii) attempting to mate beside a suburban pond

Citizen science reveals the breeding seasons of frogs is longer in the city

Human activity is causing frogs to breed earlier and for longer. What does this mean for the future of frogs?

12 August 2022

The newly described species Hunter Valley Delma (Delma vescolineata).

A New South Wales first! New species of legless lizard discovered in the Hunter Valley

Found just two hours out of Sydney, a team of Australian Museum scientists have described the Hunter Valley Delma – the first legless lizard species endemic to NSW.

11 July 2022

Gondwanan Temperate Rainforest is wet, cool, and lush green.

Unravelling the frog diversity of Gondwanan rainforests

Continuing research in rainforests of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland has recently resulted in the scientific description of two unique frog species.

24 June 2022

A green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) being attacked by mosquitos.

It’s CSI – frogs edition and we need you!

Check your frog photos for frog-biting flies and submit them to our study to help us develop a new, DNA based frog detection method.

21 June 2022

Robust Bleating Frog Litoria dentata calling, New England.

Bleating or screaming? Two new, very loud, frog species described in eastern Australia

With the help of vital FrogID audio, two new species of frog, each with a call as loud and piercing as each other, are described as new to science.

22 November 2021

What do you call one of the world’s most beautiful frogs?

Are some spectacular tree frogs from China and Vietnam two, remarkably similar species, or only one? An international team of herpetologists, including the AM’s Dr Jodi Rowley, solves this mystery once and for all!

5 November 2021

Eastern Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes dumerilii)

Do Pobblebonks sing to suit their surrounds? Calling all citizen scientists to help solve this mystery!

If a frog calls in a forest, would anyone actually hear it? This may sound like a philosophical question, but it is a genuine concern for frogs – like ‘pobblebonks’ – living in forested habitats. Find out how you can help using the FrogID app!

27 August 2021

A female of the new species, Mount Pu Ta Leng leaf-litter frog (Leptobrachella graminicola).

Reaching new heights: A new species of frog found on the second highest mountain in Vietnam

A species new to science has been discovered by an international team of scientists, including Australian Museum Amphibian and Reptile curator, Dr Jodi Rowley. This new species of tiny frog, at only 2-3 cm in body length, can be found in the mountainous forest on Mount Pu Ta Leng, Vietnam.

17 August 2021

Much to discover: Collaborative biodiversity surveys in northern Australia

The latest Bush Blitz expedition brought together teams of biologists, including AMRI scientists, and community to better understand the biodiversity of Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. Dane Trembath and Dr Jodi Rowley tell us more about the amazing biodiversity in northern Australia.

3 August 2021

Red-crowned Toadlet (Pseudophryne australis).

Which frogs are best equipped to survive the human world?

We rank Australia’s frog species based on how likely they are to persist in human modified habitats – with some surprising results!

4 May 2021

Olm (Proteus anguinus) Specimen AMS R.187533.

The curious tale of the Australian Museum Olm

Just how did Europe’s only blind, cave-dwelling salamander turn up in Sydney?

28 May 2021

Sea snake Emydocephalus annulatus (Elapidae: Hydrophiinae).

The sex life aquatic: How sea snakes have overcome the tricks of sex at sea

When you think of “sensitive” lovers, snakes are probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But our new research reveals how important tactile communication is in the sex lives of snakes.

29 June 2021

Peron's Tree Frog (Litoria peronii) calling from atop a concrete wall in an urban area.

It’s hard to live in the city: the decline of frog species from our urban areas

How are frogs faring across Australia, from bushland to your backyard? Are frogs persisting, even in the most built-up of areas? In a recent study, FrogID data helps us understand how frogs in Australia respond to urbanisation.

24 May 2021

A journey through time and place in search of a snake

How was the Australian Keelback snake (Tropidonophis mairii) named? A historical investigation has led to the identification of where the snake came from – but with a twist.

31 March 2021

Mount Ky Quan San Horned Frog (Megophrys frigida).

A new species of tiny horned frog found at the top of a mist-shrouded mountain

An international team from Vietnam, the UK and Australia set off on a mission to find Critically Endangered frog species in the Hoang Lien Range in northern Vietnam – and on the way, they found a species new to science!

20 March 2021

A tiny frog with tusks rediscovered on the New England Tablelands and North West Slopes of eastern Australia

All is not lost for an endangered population of frogs – the Tusked frog (Adelotus brevis) of the New England Tablelands and Nandewar regions has been rediscovered after fears of their extinction.

8 March 2021

Does the Blue Mountains Tree Frog have really bad neighbours?

Neighbourly feuds are a universal problem – but for the Blue Mountains Tree Frog, could the other frog species they share a stream with, be deadly?

12 February 2021

Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria fallax) from NSW. Image: Jodi Rowley

FrogID Week 2020 – rapid citizen science data informing frog conservation

FrogID, an AM citizen science initiative, is rapidly gathering the information we need to help understand and conserve Australia’s frogs.

28 January 2021

Male Cambodian Fanged Frog (Limnonectes fastigatus)

Welcome new fanged friend: A new species of Fanged Frog discovered in Cambodia

From the forests of northeastern Cambodia, another frog species new to science is scientifically named!

10 December 2020

The team swabs a frog for Bd and Bsal infection. Hoang Lien Range, Vietnam

Is a deadly disease impacting amphibians on Vietnam’s highest mountains?

Scientists from the Australian Museum, Indo-Myanmar Conservation and ZSL London Zoo search for frogs and the world’s worst wildlife disease in the mountains of northern Vietnam.

15 December 2020

The unique frogs of the Solomon Islands: free from a deadly fungus?

The amphibian chytrid fungus, responsible for causing frog declines around the world, may not yet have reached the Solomon Islands.

16 November 2020

The FrogID dataset: over 126,000 FrogID open-access records now online!

Just in time for FrogID Week 2020, the second annual release of FrogID data is now available to advance frog ecology and conservation in Australia.

11 November 2020

Frogs call at night, right?

Citizen scientists help us understand just how much Australian frogs call during the day.

15 October 2020

Do frogs have accents?

Citizen scientists enable us to understand just how much frog calls change over time and space.

8 October 2020

Frogs surviving the flames: Citizen scientists reveal frogs calling across the fire zone

We have made a big leap in our understanding of how frogs respond to fire, thanks to citizen scientists across Australia!

28 September 2020

Bathurst Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis mccartneyi)

Triage for Australia's lizards and snakes

Which of Australia’s endangered species need our most urgent attention? This was the question facing a group of conservation biologists, including two scientists from the Australian Museum Research Institute, following the most recent round of Red Data Book assessments of our reptiles.

The Leaf-litter Frog mystery in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

Although Leaf-litter Frogs are found throughout the forests of Southeast Asia, only a single individual had been recorded in the Cardamom Mountains. This has now changed, with the scientific discovery of the Cardamom Leaf-Litter Frog, named in honour of Cambodian Herpetologist Thy Neang.

A tad mysterious: The identity of five fabulous funnel-mouthed tadpoles revealed

When it comes to surveying for rare and threatened frog species, it’s important to be able to identify the tadpoles too!

Hopping to it: 200,000 frog records in three years of FrogID

With the help of citizen scientists, a 3 cm-sized threatened Sydney frog has been verified as the 200,000th record for the Australian Museum’s national FrogID project.

25 August 2020

Good news for one of the most threatened frogs in the world

No longer known from just a single mountain top: expeditions in the mountains of northern Vietnam discover new locations for a rare frog.

Conservation Cold Case

What caused frog disappearances on the New England Tablelands 40 years ago?

Crescent Moon Spadefoot Frog (Leptobrachium lunatum), Cambodia.

A closer look at spectacular red-eyed forest frogs reveals a new species

A charismatic frog with bright red upper eyes emerges from the forests of Cambodia and Vietnam as new to science.

An unusual tree frog discovered in the mountains of Vietnam

New frogs, not summits, the aim of mountain-climbing biologists

Silent nights: frogs, drought and fire

It’s now more important than ever to monitor Australia’s frogs.

Green-thighed Frog (Litoria brevipalmata).

Searching for a seriously secretive frog species

Finding flood-loving forest frogs…..and a fungus?

Bloodlust for Conservation: iDNA an innovation in the search for elusive frogs

A new, DNA-based frog survey technique means bloodsucking insects can help scientists find and conserve threatened frog species.

Islands in the sky: sampling the fauna of Coolah Tops

A recent Australian Museum Expedition to Coolah Tops found a diverse and intriguing fauna.

Data for conservation: over 50,000 FrogID records now online!

The FrogID dataset: the first year of expert-validated occurrence data has now been published!

Frog sex in the city: can frogs still be heard by their mates in urban environments?

Using citizen science data to see if frog calls can still be heard in urban areas.

A further impact of Cane Toads in northern Australia?

Could the introduced Cane Toad be partly to blame for mid-size mammal declines in northern Australia?

Citizen scientists document frog species richness across Australia

FrogID data accurately predicts expert-derived frog species richness across Australia

Who’s eating Cane Toads and getting away with it?

Did you know some Australian animals have developed a taste for toad?

Male Orange-thighed Frog (Litoria xathomera)

The language of frogs: what are your backyard frogs saying?

When a frog calls out, what is it saying?

Dr Jodi Rowley recording with FrogID app

Tips for taking your FrogID submissions to the next level

Want to make the most of you FrogID recordings? Here's some tips!

Finding a frog’s voice in the name of conservation

Frog species are often best distinguished by their calls, so we’ve recorded and published the call of the Jingdong Horned Toad for the first time.

Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis)

Missing frog rediscovered on the New England Tablelands of NSW after more than 40 years

Surveying for the Peppered Tree Frog, we rediscovered the Endangered Booroolong Frog on the Northern Tablelands of NSW.

Collaborative frog surveys in the clouds

An expedition linking scientific and traditional knowledge to document frog species in the mountains of Malaita, Solomon Islands.

The Kaputar Rock Skink – one of New South Wales’ most range restricted reptiles

A formal introduction to a skink at home on a single range in inland NSW

The Hidden Dragon (Cryptagama aurita) photographed in dusk light in the Kimberley region.

Uncovering the mysteries of some of Australia’s least known reptiles

A recent survey of reptiles in the Kimberley region, by the Australian Museum Herpetology team finds some of the least known reptile of Australia.

Surveying the frog diversity of a remarkable corner of the Australian Alps

The Australian Museum joins a Bush Blitz team to discover the biodiversity of the ACT.

Bush Blitz
Frog diversity
Australian Alps

Two new Horned Frog species found on Vietnam’s highest peak

Two new, and likely highly threatened, frog species have just been revealed.

Horned frogs
New species
Herpetology

The remarkable tale of Bathurst’s unique Grassland Dragon

In 1966 two Bathurst naturalists sent some lizards to the Australian Museum. Fifty years later it’s been recognised as a distinct species, and the hunt is on to find it again.

What does a frog eat when the forest disappears?

How habitat disturbance impacts the diet of a forest-dependent frog species.

AMRI blog post

The Aussie Green Tree Frog’s disappearing act from Sydney

FrogID reveals that Green Tree Frogs, once common throughout Sydney, are now few and far between

Hitchhiking Frogs - uploaded as part of blog by Tim Cutajar in May 2019

Frogs are Hitchhiking Around Australia

Citizen scientists have discovered frog species hundreds of kilometres from their native range using the free FrogID app

Islands in the sky: sampling the fauna of Coolah Tops

A recent Australian Museum Expedition to Coolah Tops found a diverse and intriguing fauna.

Wanted! Eavesdroppers on Red Tree Frog conversations to better understand effects of urbanisation

Recording frog calls with the FrogID app may let us know how they are coping in urban areas.

FrogID
Frog calls

The latest on the frogs of Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific

Experts highlight the unique frogs of the Australasia region and summarise the challenges facing their conservation.

The hidden abundance of frogs

The sheer number of frogs that live in healthy ecosystems- from wetlands to deserts- may surprise you!

Litoria revelata with mosquito and Sycorax

A call for photos of blood suckers

DNA from mosquitos' meals could give insight into endangered frog populations.

Listening to mountain frogs to help inform their conservation management

How do you study a frog when it's buried in the mud on top of a mountain covered in thick jungle and you don't know when they are calling?

Tourist camp on Mount Fansipan, part of the formidable Hoang Lien Ranges in northern Vietnam.

Mountain hopping for frogs

Surveying the “roof of Indochina” for two of Vietnam’s most threatened frogs.

Climbing in the clouds: searching for Vietnam’s rarest frogs

A survey for two Critically Endangered frog species in the mountains of northern Vietnam

Crossing continents to collaborate on conserving critters

From Bangladesh to the USA to Australia, my passion for biodiversity conservation has taken me far!

AMF/AMRI Visiting Research Fellow, Le Thi Thuy Duong, and Jodi Rowley at the Zoo

International collaborations to conserve amazing amphibians

A short visit with the Australian Museum Herpetology team was the latest step in our long-term collaboration.

Bleating Tree Frog (Litoria dentata), NSW, Australia

Calling all frog calls…again and again!

We need you to record your local frogs with FrogID on a regular basis- nightly, weeky or as often as you can!

To share or not to share geographical space?

Exploring why, where and when lizard and snake species coexist.

The food of frogs in a tropical forest

What do frogs eat in the wild? Everything that moves? Or are they more picky?

Detective work uncovers the true identity of some Aussie frogs

It's taken some serious investigation across three countries to solve some 150 year old mysteries about two Australian frog species.

Where did all the tiny brown frogs come from?

How small brown frogs are helping us understand the drivers of biodiversity in Asia.

Cape York Graceful Treefrog (Litoria bella), Queensland, Australia.

Just how threatened are amphibians?

Our knowledge of amphibians is changing so fast, understanding just how threatened they are is proving a challenge.

One up, one down and one sideways

Sorting out some overlooked skink lizards using museum collections.

FrogID citizen scientists are putting frogs on the map

From suburban Sydney to the most remote parts of the country, FrogID citizen scientists are helping to better understand Aussie frogs.

Same same but different: uncovering the cryptic diversity of Asian horned frogs

Discovering new species of horned frogs, after the fieldwork is done.

40 days of FrogID: citizen scientists hop to the challenge of saving frogs

Australia's first national frog count has already made leaps and bounds in helping to conserve some of our most threatened animals

The Red-thighed Horned Frog (Megophrys rubrimera)

New species of Horned Frog discovered

A new frog species with flashy red thighs has just been revealed from the rugged forests of northern Vietnam and southern China

Why do frogs call?

What drives a frog or toad to spend the night croaking?

The impact of a disease on Southeast Asian frogs: a first look

A potentially deadly pathogen is infecting frogs in Vietnam, but is it causing frog population declines?

Bush Blitzing the reptiles of Mungo National Park

We uncover beautiful threatened species as part of the latest Bush Blitz survey in Mungo National Park

Frog sex

The amazing diversity of frog mating strategies.

No two frog species take the same approach to mating.

The highest mountain in southern China reveals a new frog species

Meet the tiny new frog species just discovered from southern China

New species of Leaf-litter Frog discovered from Vietnam

A small, zig-zag striped frog has just been discovered in Vietnam

In search of undescribed species in northern Australia

Bush Blitz uncovers the remarkable diversity of amphibians and reptiles that call Bradshaw Field Training area home.

New “Stone” frog discovered from Vietnam

A new gargoyle-like frog emerges from the limestone rocks of northern Vietnam.

Linking frogs with flows

Figuring out which frog species like what conditions helps us help them survive.

The search for the Peppered Tree Frog has begun

My search for a tiny frog that hasn't been seen for more than 40 years has commenced

What’s the difference between a frog and a toad?

As an amphibian biologist, it's the most common question people ask me, but the answer is more complicated than you'd think.

How are toads different to frogs?

The search for the Peppered Tree Frog

Not seen since the 1970s, we need your help in finding a tiny, mottled frog.

Discover more

Cape York Graceful Treefrog (Litoria bella)

A new, brightly-coloured treefrog revealed in northern Australia

A green frog with orange hands and feet and purple thighs leaps into the spotlight.

Frog goo to the rescue

Why frogs may hold the key to curing your next illness

Is the demand for amphibians as pets threatening their survival in the wild?

The global trade in wildlife threatens more than just rhinos, elephants and tigers: amphibians are also at risk

Amphibian species known from mainland SE Asia

Closing the gap between species discovery and conservation

Ensuring amphibians new to science are considered in conservation strategies.

Eyes peeled for the elusive Blind Snake

Serendipity, morphology and museum collections combine to determine a new species of blind snake from the southern Northern Territory.

Five new species of Asian Leaf-litter Frog

Five new frog species discovered in fast-disappearing forests

The forests of central Vietnam adjacent Cambodia are home to five new frog species that have hopefully been discovered in the nick of time

Can frogs help combat the Zika virus?

Healthy frog populations may help keep disease-carrying mosquitos at bay, but not in the way you might expect.

Mountain-top frogs teetering on the edge

Two Asian frog species are now officially more threatened than the Giant Panda

Bird poo frogs – more species than meets the eye!

Identifying hidden frog species (that look like bird poo) using DNA

Three tiny, green-blooded frogs sing like birds

All three species of tiny, pointy snouted, green-blooded frogs from the forests of Vietnam have unique, bird-like calls

Gone before we know they exist?

Unknown diversity of tiny brown frogs just discovered, but some undiscovered species may already be extinct.

How can you tell a male from a female frog?

It's often tricky to tell whether a frog is male or female, but these tips should help.

Frogs in the trees

In making the transition from the swamp to the tree-tops, different groups of frogs have evolved in remarkably similar ways.

Limnonectes larvaepartus Museum specimen

A frog that gives birth to tadpoles!

Unique in the frog world, a newly described frog from Indonesia lays tadpoles instead of eggs.

Conserving Asian newts could save the world’s salamanders

Healthy salamander populations on both sides of the planet may depend on controlling the international sale of Asian newts as pets

The secret life of a fanged frog with an enormous head

We reveal the strange call of an even stranger frog.

Helen's Flying Frog (Rhacophorus helenae)

Discovering the biodiversity of the Greater Mekong

Much of the biodiversity of the Greater Mekong region in Southeast Asia remains undiscovered, but is already under great threat.

Why the official conservation status of species matters

It's not just a category; it's about directing scarce conservation resources to the species most in need.

Frogs need to watch their backs: parasites on the horizon

A host of spore-producing parasites may be waiting in the wings for a chance to attack amphibians.

Meet the Thorny Tree Frog: a striking new frog species from Vietnam

Males of this newly discovered pink and yellow tree frog are covered in prickly, white-tipped spines.

A striking new frog species from Vietnam

Flying Frogs: the aerodynamic amphibians

Some frogs have well and truly taken a leap into the trees

Our latest research news

Will you answer the call? Help us understand how your local frogs are faring

It’s a date: Citizen science data reveals what triggers frogs to breed

Hear the difference: Citizen science deciphers the distributions of the mysterious Green Stream Frogs

Australian Frog Atlas: Revealing the true distributions of Australia’s frogs with the help of citizen scientists

Working together to help our frogs

Citizen science reveals the breeding seasons of frogs is longer in the city

A New South Wales first! New species of legless lizard discovered in the Hunter Valley

Unravelling the frog diversity of Gondwanan rainforests

It’s CSI – frogs edition and we need you!

Bleating or screaming? Two new, very loud, frog species described in eastern Australia

What do you call one of the world’s most beautiful frogs?

Do Pobblebonks sing to suit their surrounds? Calling all citizen scientists to help solve this mystery!

Reaching new heights: A new species of frog found on the second highest mountain in Vietnam

Much to discover: Collaborative biodiversity surveys in northern Australia

Which frogs are best equipped to survive the human world?

The curious tale of the Australian Museum Olm

The sex life aquatic: How sea snakes have overcome the tricks of sex at sea

It’s hard to live in the city: the decline of frog species from our urban areas

A journey through time and place in search of a snake

A new species of tiny horned frog found at the top of a mist-shrouded mountain

A tiny frog with tusks rediscovered on the New England Tablelands and North West Slopes of eastern Australia

Does the Blue Mountains Tree Frog have really bad neighbours?

FrogID Week 2020 – rapid citizen science data informing frog conservation

Welcome new fanged friend: A new species of Fanged Frog discovered in Cambodia

Is a deadly disease impacting amphibians on Vietnam’s highest mountains?

The unique frogs of the Solomon Islands: free from a deadly fungus?

The FrogID dataset: over 126,000 FrogID open-access records now online!

Frogs call at night, right?

Do frogs have accents?

Frogs surviving the flames: Citizen scientists reveal frogs calling across the fire zone

Triage for Australia's lizards and snakes

The Leaf-litter Frog mystery in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

A tad mysterious: The identity of five fabulous funnel-mouthed tadpoles revealed

Hopping to it: 200,000 frog records in three years of FrogID

Good news for one of the most threatened frogs in the world

Conservation Cold Case

A closer look at spectacular red-eyed forest frogs reveals a new species

An unusual tree frog discovered in the mountains of Vietnam

Silent nights: frogs, drought and fire

Searching for a seriously secretive frog species

Bloodlust for Conservation: iDNA an innovation in the search for elusive frogs

Islands in the sky: sampling the fauna of Coolah Tops

Data for conservation: over 50,000 FrogID records now online!

Frog sex in the city: can frogs still be heard by their mates in urban environments?

A further impact of Cane Toads in northern Australia?

Citizen scientists document frog species richness across Australia

Who’s eating Cane Toads and getting away with it?

The language of frogs: what are your backyard frogs saying?

Tips for taking your FrogID submissions to the next level

Finding a frog’s voice in the name of conservation

Missing frog rediscovered on the New England Tablelands of NSW after more than 40 years

Collaborative frog surveys in the clouds

The Kaputar Rock Skink – one of New South Wales’ most range restricted reptiles

Uncovering the mysteries of some of Australia’s least known reptiles

Surveying the frog diversity of a remarkable corner of the Australian Alps

More blogs..

Two new Horned Frog species found on Vietnam’s highest peak

The remarkable tale of Bathurst’s unique Grassland Dragon

What does a frog eat when the forest disappears?

The Aussie Green Tree Frog’s disappearing act from Sydney

Frogs are Hitchhiking Around Australia

Islands in the sky: sampling the fauna of Coolah Tops

Wanted! Eavesdroppers on Red Tree Frog conversations to better understand effects of urbanisation

The latest on the frogs of Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific

The hidden abundance of frogs

A call for photos of blood suckers

Listening to mountain frogs to help inform their conservation management

Mountain hopping for frogs

Even more blogs!

Climbing in the clouds: searching for Vietnam’s rarest frogs

Crossing continents to collaborate on conserving critters

International collaborations to conserve amazing amphibians

Calling all frog calls…again and again!

To share or not to share geographical space?

The food of frogs in a tropical forest

Detective work uncovers the true identity of some Aussie frogs

Where did all the tiny brown frogs come from?

Just how threatened are amphibians?

One up, one down and one sideways