Species profile—Litoria myola (Kuranda treefrog)

Classification

Animalia (animals) → Amphibia (amphibians) → Hylidae (tree frogs) → Litoria myola (Kuranda treefrog)

Species details

Kingdom

Animalia (animals)

Class

Amphibia (amphibians)

Family

Hylidae (tree frogs)

Scientific name

Litoria myola Hoskin, 2007

Common name

Kuranda treefrog

Type reference

Hoskin, C.J. (2007) Description, biology and conservation of a new species of Australian tree frog (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) and an assessment of the remaining populations of Litoria genimaculata Horst, 1883: systematic and conservation implications of an unusual speciation event. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 91: 549-563.

WildNet taxon ID

31630

Synonym(s)

Litoria genimaculata
Ranoidea myola
Dryopsophus myolus
Litoria serrata

Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status

CR

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC) status

Critically endangered

Conservation significant

Yes

Confidential

Yes

Endemicity

Native

Pest status

Nil

Description

The Kuranda treefrog is a moderately sized species (males 35.6-45.2 mm, females 57.2-69.0 mm) with a broad, flattened head and slender body. The colour and pattern of the back is highly variable, ranging from tan or brown to grey with faint or bright orange, green and brown blotches or mottling, sometimes with a darker patch between the eyes. The belly is cream or white with faint to obvious light brown or grey colouring or dark speckling on the chin and throat. The skin on the back is smooth with scattered small tubercles, with a dorso-lateral skin fold from the eye to mid-body. The skin on the belly is granular. There is a pale serrated ridge along the outer edge of the foot and a slight pale ridge on the hind edge of the forearm. The discs of the fingers and toes are large and rounded. The fingers are half webbed while the toes are nearly fully webbed. The tympanum (eardrum) is highly visible and there is a distinct green crescent in the upper iris. (Hoskin 2007).
The male call is a short, fast series of 'tocs'. The call has a duration of ~0.85s (0.57-1.35) and consists of ~7 notes (5-11) at a dominant frequency of ~1.79 kHz (1.53-2.07). This species lacks a vocal sac so the call is relatively soft. (Hoskin 2007).
The tadpole has not been formally described, but are similar to those of L. genimaculata (Hoskin 2007; Hoskin & Hero 2008).

Map

View Map

Species environment

Aquatic & Terrestrial

Habitat

The Kuranda treefrog is restricted to mature and regenerating rainforest in areas of slow-moving permanent and ephemeral streams (Hoskin, 2007).

Behaviour

The Kuranda treefrog is a nocturnal, arboreal species that breeds in shallow, flowing sections of stream. Males call from streamside vegetation and are also occasionally found away from the streams in the rainforest. Neighbouring males may engage in bouts of aggressive calling which can result in wrestling. Females and sub-adults are encountered both at the streams as well as away from the streams in the surrounding rainforest. Females have been observed at considerable height in the forest mid-storey. (Hoskin, 2007; Hoskin & Hero 2008).

Reproduction

The Kuranda treefrog is a stream breeder with breeding recorded in the spring/summer wet season. Males develop dark, fleshy nuptial pads during the breeding season and amplexus is axillary. Females come to the streams where the males are calling, and a clutch of approximately 500 eggs is laid as a cohesive clump. Tadpoles then develop in the streams. The lack of sub-adults in the streams suggests the frogs disperse into the surrounding rainforest to mature. (Hoskin 2007, Hoskin & Hero 2008).

Parasites and pathogens

The Kuranda treefrog is parasitized by larvae of a Dipteran fly (Batrachomyia sp.). (Hoskin 2007; Hoskin & McCallum 2007).

Threatening processes

Current:
1. Clearing of rainforest vegetation (including regrowth), particularly in relation to rural & urban residential development in the species distribution.
2. Impacts to the streams in terms of water flow, water quality & sedimentation, particularly due to development. The impacts can be initiated at both the sites where the species occurs as well as upstream in the catchments.
3. Fragmentation of habitat & breeding populations.
Potential:
4. Stochastic events, due to the very small distribution & population size.
5. Hybridization with the closely related species L. genimaculata due to captive breeding & release, & movement of individuals of either species in this region.
6. Frog chytrid fungus, which has been found on the closely related species L. genimaculata.
7. Road kill, particularly females crossing roads.

Status notes

Endangered proposed. Total breeding population estimated to be 500-1000 individuals (Hoskin, 2007 & unpub. data). Litoria myola is a geographically highly localised species endemic to the Wet Tropics Biogeographic Region, north-east Queensland.

Management documents

No recovery or action plan in place.

Notes

Contributors: Conrad J. Hoskin 9/08/2007; Danielle Hansen 16/01/2009; Wayne E. Martin 20/01/2009

References

Hoskin, C.J. (2007). Description, biology and conservation of a new species of Australian tree frog (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) and an assessment of the remaining populations of Litoria genimaculata Horst, 1883: systematic and conservation implications of an unusual speciation event. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 91: 549-563.
Hoskin, C. & Hero, J.M. (2008). Rainforest Frogs of the Wet Tropics, North-east Australia. Griffith University, Gold Coast. 89p.
Hoskin, C.J. & McCallum, H. (2007). Phylogeography of the parasitic fly Batrachomyia in the Wet Tropics of north-east Australia, and susceptibility of host frog lineages in a mosaic contact zone. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 92, 593-603.

Profile author

Conrad J. Hoskin (20/01/2009)

Other resources

• Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT)
• Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums (OZCAM)
• Atlas of Living Australia

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=31630.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.