Platyplectrum spenceri
Spencer's Burrowing Frog
Distribution
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Conservation Status
What does it mean?
Federal Conservation Status (EPBC Act)
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Frog Calls
Call recorded by Cemone Hedges
Call recorded by Gayle McGuirk
Call recorded by Gayle McGuirk
Calling Period
- Jan
- yes
- Feb
- yes
- Mar
- yes
- Apr
- No calling
- May
- No calling
- Jun
- No calling
- Jul
- No calling
- Aug
- No calling
- Sep
- No calling
- Oct
- yes
- Nov
- yes
- Dec
- yes
Species Information
Description
A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to nearly 5 cm in body length. It has a grey, brown or reddish-brown back, with darker brown patches. There is often a brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the side, and brown vertical bars along the upper lip. The belly is white. The pupil is nearly round, and the iris is gold. The legs have brown horizontal bars. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are fully webbed, both without discs.
Habitats
Occurs in arid areas.
Breeding Biology
Eggs are laid as a foamy mass on the surface of temporary pools, ditches, and waterholes. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 6 cm, and are brown, gold-brown, or grey-brown in colour. They often remain on the bottom of water bodies, and may take around one month to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to summer after heavy rain.
Similar Species
Looks similar to Platyplectrum ornatum and the many Neobatrachus species in its distribution, but has a different call and more toe webbing than Platyplectrum ornatum, and lacks dark metatarsal tubercles as present in the Neobatrachus species.