Corroboree Frog

[ssshazza]

Hey everyone,

Thought i'd share some of my photos of the Corroboree frogs at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT.
They have a breeding program, with currently more in captivity than in the wild. Such a shame since they really are amazing creatures.

 

[W.T.BUY]

wow great pics they are so small. The crickets they eat are even smaller lol. What size is the cricket in Pic #1?

 

[ssshazza]

Thanks
That frog was a little bit bigger than my thumb nail (and I have little hands!)
So that cricket is TINY!

 

[m_beardie]

woahh that is very very very small lol so cute!

 

[Reptilia]

It is odd to see them on gravel, they are usually kept on sphagnum moss.
Im pretty sure that tidbinbilla hold the northern corroboree frog (pseudophryne pengilleyi) and not the more crittically endangered southern corroboree frog (pseudophryne corroboree).
TNR, the ARC, Taronga and Melbourne do some great work, thats for sure!

 

[ssshazza]

It is odd to see them on gravel, they are usually kept on sphagnum moss.
Im pretty sure that tidbinbilla hold the northern corroboree frog (pseudophryne pengilleyi) and not the more crittically endangered southern corroboree frog (pseudophryne corroboree).
TNR, the ARC, Taronga and Melbourne do some great work, thats for sure!

They do have some sphagnum moss in their enclosures, but with the amount of frogs (approx 300) they have in the breeding program, it wouldn't be such a great idea to use too much of it.

Yep they are the Northerns, do you know of the org's that have breeding programs for Southerns if any?

 

[Reptilia]

The Amphibian Research Centre hold by far the most southern corroboree frogs in captivity and have the most successful breeding program. Taronga is next and then Melbourne Zoo.

Why would large amounts of sphagnum be a problem?

 

[itbites]

They are one of the loveliest frogs imo...

Sad to see them disappearing in the wild.

 

[ShaunMorelia]

The Amphibian Research Centre hold by far the most southern corroboree frogs in captivity and have the most successful breeding program. Taronga is next and then Melbourne Zoo.

Why would large amounts of sphagnum be a problem?

Because it is one of the reasons the corroboree frog is endangered, there isn't much left of it. Plus it was a display enclosure, not their breeding program enclosures. So no need for it to be full of sphagnum.

Introduced disease (Chytrid fungus, main reason the corroboree is endangered), climate change and environmental stochasticity (drought, recent wild fires are drying up the moss). They need the moss to lay eggs.
These factors may also have been exacerbated by ecological changes subsequent to European settlement, such as changed grazing and burning regimes, and disturbance from introduced animals.

Also can you point me in the right direction to see where they have had successful breeding programs, as far as I knew they were able to raise them but not breed them.

 

[ssshazza]

Thanks S Word, you summed that up nicely..

 

[herptrader]

I thought that the southern Corroboree Frog was already thought to be extinct in the wild with fires a few years ago decimating there only remaining habitat?

Melbourne Zoo used to have some on display in there small frog exhibit.

 

[SammySnakes]

There's plenty of sphagnum moss left in the habitat of this species, the habitat isn't declining, the species is, largely due to chytrid fungus. Chytrid fungus is by far the primary cause of their decline.

Regarding breeding, I think you'll find Tidbinbilla produced well over a hundred captive-bred frogs last season. I'm pretty sure the other zoos have frogs just hitting maturity now.

 

[ssshazza]

The habitat is very much in danger, and declining rapidly. The majority of sphagnum bogs are drying up. And, of course the fungus is causing the species the greatest harm. Perhaps you aren't aware of the decline in sphagnum bogs in the Alpine regions. The amount of moss used up by commercial users, coupled with the drying is lowering the frogs habitat vastly.

Tidbinbilla are at around 300 now , which is amazing work.

 

[gecko-mad]

GO CORROBOREE FROGS!!!!! there awesome!!!!

 

[Den from Den Pythons]

Check out the article in the latest issue of Scales and Tails Aust. Michael McFadden has supplied some awesome pics! He talks about the decline of the Southern species and discusses the breeding programs in place. The shots of a tadpole inside an egg and a female laying are unreal!

Spectacular frogs, ta for sharing Shazza!

 

[Geckogod]

thats great to hear, 300 of the little buggers, its sad they need breeding programs but its great to hear about the success for some. Fantastic photos though