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New Frog Species For Victoria Found In Genoa River

A recent frog survey of the Genoa River Valley between Wangarabell and Mallacoota in far East Gippsland has discovered the presence of a new species of frog for Victoria: the Bleating Tree Frog, Litoria dentata.

By Dept of Sustainablity - 12th May 2011 - Back to News

Dr Graeme Gillespie was commissioned by the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to look for the Southern Barred Frog, Myxophyes balbus, in a number of waterways in far East Gippsland. This frog has not been positively recorded in Victoria for over 30 years.

Instead, he discovered Bleating Tree Frogs at three floodplain sites on areas of farmland along the Genoa River south of the Princes Highway. Dr Gillespie said that to a frog expert, the call of the Bleating Tree Frog is very distinctive.

"This is fortunate given there were seven other species of frog calling in the area at the same time! One of these species was the Green and Golden Bellfrog, Litoria aurea, which is a nationally threatened species."

The nearest known populations of Bleating Tree Frog lie over 40 kilometres to the north in New South Wales, making the Genoa site the most southerly known population for this species, and the only one known from Victoria.

"The reason the Bleating Tree Frog has gone unnoticed in the area until now is probably because no-one with knowledge of its call has been there to hear the frogs when they are breeding," Dr Gillespie said.

"The species is known to call only after significant rain events on warm nights, and even then they do so sporadically. Outside of the breeding season they are pretty hard to find."

The survey failed to detect any Southern Barred Frogs, so it remains unclear whether that species still survives in Victoria. While pleased with the discovery of the species, Dr Gillespie was also pragmatic about the find.

"Several frog species have been added to the Victorian list in recent years. Finding the Bleating Tree Frog highlights the fact that while we have an extensive knowledge of the distribution of the flora and fauna in Victoria, it is far from comprehensive. I expect there will be a few more frog species added to the Victorian list in the future."

The Victorian Government has a responsibility under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee (FFG) Act to protect threatened species. These animals and plants form an important part of their ecosystems and, by increasing our knowledge of them, we reduce the risk of losing them forever.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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