Heleioporus australiacus


Giant Burrowing Frog

Photos

  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Jodi Rowley
  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Jodi Rowley
  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Stephen Mahony

Distribution

Distribution map for Heleioporus australiacus
Found from the Central Coast of NSW, south to northeastern VIC and extending inland to the ranges. Within the Sydney region it is restricted to Hawkesbury Sandstone. It has declined due to habitat clearing for housing developments.

Conservation Status

What does it mean?

Federal Conservation Status (EPBC Act)

Endangered

IUCN Red List

Endangered

Photos

  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Jodi Rowley
  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Jodi Rowley
  • Heleioporus australiacus
    Photo: Stephen Mahony

Frog Calls

Call recorded by Cassie Thompson

Call recorded by Josie Stokes

Call recorded by Jodi Rowley

Calling Period

Species Information

Description

A large species of frog reaching up to 10 cm in body length. It has a dark brown, grey or black back, and the sides are spotted with bright yellow. The belly is white or bluish-white, and the throat is grey with pale pink. The pupil is vertical and the iris is silver-grey. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are slightly webbed, both without discs. Adult males have large black spines on their fingers during the breeding season. This species is now considered to be comprised of two subspecies. The northern sub-species is restricted to the Sydney Basin, while the southern subspecies occurs from south of the Kangaroo Valley in NSW to central Gippsland in Victoria.

Habitats

Occurs on sandstone shelves with native vegetation including healthland, wet or dry sclerophyll forest and montane riparian woodland.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as a foamy mass out of the water inside burrows or empty crayfish holes, and occasionally underneath long tussock grass on moist sandy soil near creeks, dams, or temporary pools. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8 cm, and are dark black in colour. They escape into water from their burrows after flooding, often remaining at the bottom of water bodies. Breeds during spring to autumn.

Similar Species

Sometimes mistakenly thought to be the introduced Cane Toad (Rhinella marina), but lacks the toad’s rougher skin and large parotoid glands on the shoulders, and has vertical pupils instead of the toad's horizontal pupils. Also looks similar to Limnodynastes dumerilii and Limnodynastes terraereginae in its distribution, but these species generally have different colours on the side and thighs, and also lack a vertical pupil.