Sounds like I’m complaining, doesn’t it? Not at all! These were all the hallmarks of a night frogging in Conondale National Park! 😀 (Now you’re all jealous).
After arriving outside of the Maleny Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service office I was driven out to Conondale Nat. Park by Rowena Thomas from QPWS where we were to begin frog monitoring for the season. We were also accompanied by rangers’ Mike and Lesley. I’ve only been out there once or twice during the day to the day site so have never done any serious exploring through the park, so I was very much looking forward to what we’d find at night in a place known for it’s great frog residence.
Once at the first site I got just a few photos of Litoria pearsoniana (Cascade treefrog) with Mum’s DSLR, since I wasn’t allowed to take it with me along the middle of the creek 😛 Hence, some of these photos were taken on my little Sony digital camera. The monitoring required us to get wet, though only up to our knees (thank-goodness for that as the water temperature was 14°C, though it felt much colder!). We spotted and heard many dozen L. pearsoniana but surprisingly (and disappointingly) no Mixophyes iteratus (Giant Barred-frogs), as they are usually found on the banks there. There were several new feral pig ‘digs’, the silt from which had muckied up the creek.
Now behold, the photo below was taken in the place where one of the gastric brooding frog species Reobatrachus silus (Southern Platypus-frog AKA Southern Gastric-brooding frog) was last observed at. This species is name so because of it’s unique ability to raise it’s young in it’s stomach, and because of it’s wholly aquatic dwelling. It’s thought that the lethal Chytridiomycosis fungus was responsible for their demise, though there is some optimism that some of these frogs may remain somewhere within the park. Taudactylus diurnus (Southern Dayfrog) is the other species in this area which is also thought to have disappeared because of the fungus.
After finishing searching the transect, we travelled to the other monitoring site in the un-logged part of the park (all logging in the park has ceased, but the first site was regrowth from past logging). Here we heard L. pearsoniana‘s again but also Assa darlingtoni (Australian Marsupial frog), so named because of the pouches it has on it’s hips where the tadpoles are carried in. Unfortunately I couldn’t record the call, but managed to pick up L. pearsoniana.
At the top end of this site, above a waterfall we found two beautiful Litoria chloris (Southern orange-eyed treefrogs), and more L. pearsonianas. Mixophyes iteratus was absent here too, which could be because of the cooler temperature during the night. Mike did hear the call of a species I haven’t heard (or seen in real-life) though, Mixophyes fleayi (Fleay’s Barred-frog). Eventually we heard it (see the recording in the Gallery on the main site), so that was cool, though we couldn’t find the thing!
Litoria chloris (Southern orange-eyed treefrog)
On our way travelling out of the national park, I wanted to stop by a creek crossing where earlier we’d seen frogs crossing in. To my dismay, they’d gone, but a crossing or two later, they were everywhere! And by ‘they’ I’m referring to Litoria wilcoxii (Stony-creek frogs). I got out, grabbed the DSLR and was in my realm! There were easily hundreds of males, all shaded yellow, looking for a female. Below is a sample of what was there.
Once I returned home, I discovered I had a stain I was not familiar with on my sock. Closer inspection revealed it was blood – fresh, out of my ankle. The perpetrator had disappeared. I’ll spare you the image.
So, overall, a great night in the Conondales and I’m very grateful to Rowena for having me along! Now to do it all again tonight (somewhere else!).