Assa wollumbin

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 2 cm in body length. It varies in colour from light cream, brownish orange, or different shades of brown, often with darker V-shaped markings on the back and between the eyes. There is a solid or mottled black stripe from behind the eye to the groin. Its fingers and toes are unwebbed, and have very small toe pads. This species was confused with the closely related Pouched Frog (Assa darlingtoni) but was described as new to science in October 2021.

Breeding Biology

This species has a fascinating breeding biology. Males call from under leaf litter on the forest floor or among stones. During mating, a clutch of relatively few large eggs is deposited on the ground. The male stays with the eggs until they are ready to hatch, at least seven days later, at which point he positions himself on top of them. The white tadpoles hatch and wriggle up into pouches the male has on either side of his belly. The young develop in these pouches and emerge fully metamorphosed into small frogs. Males may mate more than once within a breeding season, and can carry young of different developmental stages at the same time.

Similar Species

Most similar to Assa darlintoni, but the population on Wollumbin (Mt Warning) belongs to Assa wollumbin. Also looks similar to Crinia parinsignifera, Crinia signifera, Crinia tinnula, Philoria loveridgei, Philoria richmondensis and Philoria sphagnicolus in its distribution, but the Philoria species have thicker arms and different back patterns, and the Crinia species have a rougher belly texture.