Philip Topham

I have had a keen interest in frogs and reptiles since I was a kid. This passion only grew until I found myself volunteering at Taronga Zoo, and later, being employed there as a keeper. I have spent over a decade working as a keeper across the Australian fauna teams, with a majority of my time spent in the Herpetofauna department.

During my time in this department I have worked with a wide range of both native and exotic reptilian fauna and several native frog species, including threatened species such as the Northern and Southern Corroboree frog, and the Booroolong frog. Through my career, I have had the great pleasure of educating vast backgrounds of people about our native herpetofauna and the threats they face.

After working in the zoological industry for some time I decided to further develop my knowledge in the biological field and completed a bachelor of biodiversity and conservation at Macquarie University in 2020.

When not at work, I spend the majority of my time enjoying my hobbies of bushwalking and searching for Herpetofauna anywhere I can. This has lead me to seeing many incredible species in the wild, from Harlequin flying frogs in Borneo, to the Green Tree Python in Cape York, to the incredible Crucifix frog in outback New South Wales. However, even with some rare species seen, my favourite frog is still Australia’s iconic Green Tree Frog, with its chilled out demeanor and friendly smile.

Starting at the museum in 2020, I am excited to be able to bring my experience and passion for Australia’s frogs into a like-minded team, assisting with the FrogID project.