Lymnodynastes dumerilii

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Family

Myobatrachidae

Genus

Lymnodynastes

Species

dumerilii

Distinguishing Features

In general this species is grey-brown in colour; has a distinctive thick black band from the ear to the eye and a pale stripe from the eye to above the arm; the belly may be white to a mottled grey. The tadpoles of this species are large, up to 9cm long in the sub-species insularis. In general the tadpoles are dark brown to black in colour. Distinguishable from most other frog species in the ACT by their greater size, growing to as large as 8.5 cm.

Common name/s

Banjo Frog, Eastern Banjo Frog, Pobblebonk, Eastern Pobblebonk, Grey-Bellied Pobblebonk, Bullfrog, Four-bob Frog.

Species Call

By far the easiest way to identify this frog is its call. It makes a distinctive ©pobblebonk© sound when calling from water, or a loud ©toc© if calling from land. When there are multiple individuals calling the sound somewhat resembles the noise of banjo strings being plucked, hence the common name ©Banjo Frog©.

Similar Species

There are five subspecies of L.dumerilii all of which vary slightly in morphology; L. dumerilii dumerilii, L. dumerilli fryi, L. dumerilii grayi, L. dumerilii insularis and L. dumerilii variegates.

Distribution

Occurs from the bottom south-eastern corner of QLD, through to the eastern edge of NSW, to the southern regions of Victoria, most of Tasmania, and the south east corner of South Australia.

Country of Origin

Australia

Survey Techniques

The most common technique for monitoring frog populations is based on call identification, with each frog species having a unique call. Frogs should not be handled without the use of sterile gloves, as their skin is very sensitive to chemicals, including soap and sunscreen. For more information see Local Actions below.

Conservation (Pet/Pest) Status - National

Not thought to be at risk.

Conservation (Pet/Pest) Status - Regional

Not thought to be at risk.

LSCCES Population

In the 2004 FrogWatch Survey of the ACT this species was detected at 19% of all sites.

Associated Vegetation Community

Much of the time this species lives in burrows under the ground. Found near water sources in woodlands, rainforests, heathland, farmlands and suburban gardens.

Limiting Resources

Prefers still bodies of water and soft loamy soils.

Breeding

Calls from September to January, especially after rain. Multiple eggs, in excess of 3500, are laid on a floating foam raft. In the warmer regions metamorphosis may be completed in 4 -5 months, while in the colder regions, such as the snow-country, it may take 12-15 months to complete the same process.

Behaviour

Generally live in small burrows in the soil and emerge after rain to forage for food. It is common for large groups of males to congregate and call for females after rain.

Functional Group

Insectivorous

Food Species

Small invertebrates

Predators

May include native birds, such as the White-Faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) and Intermediate Egret, and fish, including the introduced Carp, Goldfish and Trout. Introduced species such as Cats (Felis catus) and Foxes may also predate on frogs.

Interesting Fact

L. dumerilii has occasionally been mistaken for the introduced Cane Toad, luckily no wild populations of Cane Toads occur within the ACT. The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to check for the presence of the white stripe below the eye that is distinctive of L. dumerilii and absent in Cane Toads.