Member Blog: Giant homecoming for endangered Victorian frog
Fifty-three Critically Endangered Southern Giant Burrowing Frogs have returned to East Gippsland [Gunaikurnai Country] after contributing to a wildly successful conservation breeding program.
The now five-year-old frogs were initially discovered as tadpoles after the Black Summer bushfires destroyed large swathes of their forest habitat. Specialist amphibian keepers at Zoos Victoria’s Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary then raised the tadpoles through to metamorphosis and, last year [2025], successfully bred the species for the first time in captivity.
The homecoming will help researchers answer questions about how the highly cryptic species inhabits its range. Prior to release, each frog received a microchip or PIT tag. If one of the released animals is located during a population survey, researchers will be able to identify the individual and calculate how far it may have moved from the release area.
Song meters have also been deployed throughout the forest to detect frog calls and help field teams identify potential breeding sites - of which less than five are known in Victoria.Giant Burrowing Frog expert and herpetologist at Snowline Ecology, Matt Clancy, said now that their genetics have been secured for future generations, the recently sexually mature adults are making a timely homecoming and will be able to contribute to wild populations.
"Southern giant burrowing frogs are one of Victoria’s rarest and most cryptic frogs,” said Matt. “They're extremely elusive in their environment, spending several months per year buried deep beneath the forest floor. These incredibly charismatic frogs emerge from their burrows during heavy rain events and thunderstorms, which meant we had to work fast, chasing the low-pressure system to release them under the perfect conditions.”
Threatened Species Keeper Healesville Sanctuary, Meagan Lane said the knowledge unearthed across both wild and captive populations is invaluable to species conservation.
"Having the opportunity to raise these animals is such a privilege,” Keeper Meagan said. “We're continually making new discoveries about their development and behaviours, which supports our colleagues working with the species in the wild. “Likewise, their research has informed our husbandry, including the environmental and atmospheric conditions that we replicate in their breeding facilities.”
Adult Southern Giant Burrowing Frogs are roughly the size of a cricket ball, with large eyes, muscular limbs, and a torso dotted with vibrant yellow markings.
Their populations have been severely impacted by habitat destruction and extreme climate events, such as prolonged drought and bushfire. The widespread amphibian disease chytridiomycosis has likely also had devastating impacts on wild numbers.
The Southern Giant Burrowing Frog conservation program is a partnership between Zoos Victoria and Snowline Ecology. Melbourne Zoo’s Amphibian Bushfire Recovery Centre was supported by the Australian Government’s Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program. The Froggery at Healesville Sanctuary was supported by Mondelez.
Visitors can support conservation programs for Critically Endangered amphibians, including the Southern Giant Burrowing Frog, by donating eligible drink containers through Victoria’s Container Deposit Scheme at Zoos Victoria properties – Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo.
