New Frog Species 10/8/11

New Frog Species

Researchers have discovered a new miniature frog species in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region. The Pilbara toadlet is thought to have gone unnoticed for a million years and has adapted to the harsh desert conditions. The finding was made by researchers from the University of Western Australia, the West Australian Museum and the Australian National University. ANU PhD student Renee Catullo says the two centimetre toadlet is unique. "It has big glands and it has brown spots all over it, it also has a different call from all the other species," she said. "It actually lives in rocky landscapes instead of sandy soils, so it's a burrowing frog that's adapted to live in a different type of landscape." Ms Catullo says researchers had thought very few amphibians lived in the Pilbara region. "The deserts of Australia are often believed to be empty regions with few species," she said. "However genetic work on reptiles and amphibians has shown that there are large numbers of species in what looks like a barren landscape to most people." Ms Catullo says genetic testing confirmed the discovery. *ABC

New Aussie Animal Flood Appeal!

Sydney Pet Rescue & Adoption, has launched the Animal Flood Victims Emergency Appeal, and together with various other rescue groups, they are working hard to raise funds to support animals affected by the recent devastating floods in Qld. The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia is one of the organisations they have chosen to support with the Appeal. We will be using the funds they raise to support foster carers in the worst affected and priority areas, with financial support to assist with the rescue and foster care of wildlife. ……….We thank SPRA and all the rescue groups who are working hard with them, for their support…..

Please click on this link to find out more about the appeal: SPRA Flood Animal Appeal Here!

Frogs 13/12/10

The extensive rain across the Australian East Coast has been some good news for frogs anyway. They are everywhere. I was driving back from the West last week at night, and there were thousands of frogs on the road. Unfortunately, many were squashed flat. We have no data whatsoever on the number of frog roadkills, but we can only presume it is horrific. *Pat OBrien

Cane Toads 4/3/10

Cane Toads Cane toads are believed to be overrunning the Gold Coast, with some environmentalists starting public reduction programs. However the Gold Coast City Council wont support public reduction programs claiming there are "safety and liability issues." In other words, they dont want to face a legal claim if someone gets hurt! Meanwhile Charleville kangaroo processor John Bury is going to China next month to try to stitch up a market for cane toad products, claiming the venom has potential medicinal qualities, such as an expectorant, a heart stimulant and as a diuretic. *WPAA

Frog eats Snake 30/12/09

A frog has been photographed in Mackay Qld, eating a brown tree snake. We've heard of this happening before, but not often. Australian wildlife is unpredictble we know, but it is big effort for a frog to eat a snake. We know of another instance where a frog reaching for a small bat flying out of cave at Mt Etna in Queensland, accidentally swallowed the head of a snake that was reaching for the same bat, but soon regurgitated the snake. In this latest incident, the frog however consumed the whole snake.

Northern Corroboree Frogs Lost 18/12/09

The failure of a refrigeration unit has caused a setback to the ACT's northern corroboree frog breeding program. Around 700 tadpoles and 300 frogs died when the refrigeration unit in a purpose built container housing the frogs at Tidbinbilla failed. The frogs had been bred in captivity over the past two years. Staff, who have invested much time and effort into the program, has seen Tidbinbilla become the only place in Australia that has successfully bred northern corroboree frogs in captivity. To see this happen is distressing. However they they still have a substantial breeding population and will be able to get back on track for a planned release next year.

They hope to have another 1,000 frogs produced next year based on current breeding success. Tidbinbilla says they already take a number of precautions to protect the captive frogs. Even though the populations were spread amongst three bio-secure containers, and the refrigeration and electrical systems were seperate from each container, clearly there is need for better backup. An external review of the facility will take place.

Frogs 24/10/09

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says about 500 endangered Oregon spotted frogs have been released this fall at a lake on the Fort Lewis Army base near Tacoma. It's the second year that the tiny frogs have been released at Dailman Lake, which is part of the frogs' historic habitat. The frogs once ranged from southwestern British Columbia to northeastern California. But loss of habitat and nonnative predators decimated their numbers, and the state listed it as endangered in 1997. The frog now is only known to be in Washington's Klickitat and Thurston counties. The frogs spent their first nine months in captive rearing programs at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, Portland's Oregon Zoo, and the Cedar Creek Corrections Center near Olympia, where inmates helped raise them. *Seattle PI