Southern Corroboree Frogs answer keeper’s call
It’s breeding season for the Southern Corroboree Frogs housed at Healesville Sanctuary, which also sees the keepers practising their best frog calls.
The critically endangered Southern Corroboree Frogs males are tricky to locate nestled in tiny, moss burrows patiently waiting for the females. Despite their distinctive yellow and black markings, the frogs are only two centimetres long and cosy up in the root system of plants.
So, Healesville Sanctuary keepers – literally – call the frogs and wait for a response in order to locate and document their burrow.
Frog keeper Meg Lane said keepers call to the amphibians in their deepest voice, and the frogs call back.
“The Southern Corroboree Frogs can hear us and feel the reverberations, so they respond,” Ms Lane said. “This allows us to locate them in a non-invasive way.
“We have just found the first burrow of the season and placed a marker to identify where it is, that way we don’t need to disturb the breeding cycle. By leaving the moss layers alone as much as possible, we hope this will lead to more successful breeding activity.”
A burrow located near pebbles is thought to increase the chances of finding a mate, and the male frog needs to have a strong, echoing call to attract a female.
Over the next month, conditions within the Sanctuary’s frog breeding facility will mimic conditions found in the wild, as seasonal temperature spikes and rain encourage more calling. Once the females are introduced into the breeding tank, the keepers will carefully check for eggs.
Southern Corroboree Frogs are listed as critically endangered in Victoria. It is believed less than 50 Southern Corroboree Frogs remain in the alpine habitat of Kosciusko National Park. A major threat to this species is Chytridiomycosis, commonly known as Amphibian Chytrid [Pronounced: Kit-trid] Fungus disease. This disease is a threat for frogs worldwide.
Zoos Victoria's breeding and conservation work is made possible thanks to generous support of multiple partners including the Southern Corroboree Frog Recovery Team, NSW Parks and Wildlife, NSW Environment, Energy and Science, Taronga Zoo, University of Wollongong and Prague Zoo.
The Southern Corroboree Frogs based at Healesville Sanctuary are not currently on display. However, visitors can see Southern Corroboree Frogs at Melbourne Zoo.