Litoria booroolongensis

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Family

Hylidae

Genus

Litoria

Species

booroolongensis

Distinguishing Features

A small frog with mottled grey, black, brown markings. Its shape slightly resembles that of a toad, as it is rotund nature. The belly is a creamy white colour. In size the species range from 30-58mm. In appearance the Booroolong Frog is very similar to the Rocky Stream Frog (Litoria lesueuri), distinguished by the absence of the black stripe running from behind the eye through to below the arm, but present on the Rocky Stream Frog.As calls are the most likely way of being notified that a frog is residing nearby it is not surprising to find that call identification is by far the easiest way to recognise the species. The call of the Booroolong frog has been described as a soft repeated purring ©quirk-quirk-quirk©. The call sounds very similar to the Rocky Stream Frog and is hard to identify without experience.

Common name/s

Booroolong Frog

Similar Species

The Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria auera), the Tablelands Bell Frog (Litoria castenea), the Broad-palmed Frog ( Litoria latopalmata), the Rocky Stream Frog (Litoria lesueuri), the Southern Leaf-Green Tree Frog (Litoria nudidigitus), Peron©s Tree Frog (Litoria peronii), the Southern Bell Frog (Litoria raniformis), the Spotted Tree Frog (Litoria spenceri) and the Whistling Tree Frog ( Litoria verreauxii verreauxii).

Distribution

Tablelands and slopes of NSW.

Country of Origin

Australia

Survey Techniques

Call identification is by far the easiest and simplest way to detect frogs.

Conservation (Pet/Pest) Status - National

The species status is  listed as of concern Wildlife Australia©s The Action plan for Australian Frogs. The species is currently under assessment for listing as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC act).

Conservation (Pet/Pest) Status - Regional

Within NSW the species is listed as endangered under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Listed as Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1998.

LSCCES Population

Historically the species has been known to have been common in parts of the Northern and Central Tablelands of NSW, although not within the ACT. Currently it has not been detected within the Northern Tablelands for the last 15 years and is thought to have become locally extinct from these areas.

Associated Vegetation Community

Streamline vegetation including ferns such as [Blechnum spp] and [Gleichenia spp] , grasses  such as [Poa spp]and sedges such as[Carex] and [Cyperus] spp are valuable as they provide shelter for the frogs and debris to hide under.

[Dry sclerophyll forests], [Forested wetlands],[ Grassy woodlands].

Limiting Resources

Previously occurred above 800m, near rocky streams, both ephemeral and permanent.

Breeding

Breeds from November through to January.

Behaviour

During the breeding season males call from the edges of banks or floating vegetation. Females lay their eggs under rocks in bodies of still or moving water.

Functional Group

Insectivore

Food Species

Small invertebrates.

Predators

The native Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) has been known to consume the occasional Booroolong Frog, as have introduced fish including trout (Salmo trutta) & [Oncorhynchus mykiss], mosquito fish (Gambusia holbrooki), European carp (Cyprinus carpio) and redfin perch (Perca fluviatilis).

Interesting Fact

A study by Smith and Hunter (2005) suggests that male Booroolong frogs may alter their mating calls with respect to which other individuals are calling at the time, in order to make their call the more attractive to females!