Andirrmalin Frog (Litoria andiirrmalin)

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

The Melville Range treefrog is poorly known, and species specific breeding months have not been recorded. As a general guide for a Queensland treefrog, activity and breeding are most likely during warmer, wetter conditions, but local rainfall can shift the timing.

Breeding mode: Not recorded.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Tadpole development period: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding site: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Timing may vary between years and regions with rainfall, temperature, elevation and the availability of suitable breeding places.

• Adult calling and movement to breeding sites: General frog activity is most likely during warm, wet conditions, especially after rain.
• Potential breeding and egg laying: Treat wet weather from November to April as a possible breeding period until local surveys show otherwise.
• Eggs and tadpoles: Eggs and tadpoles may be present after breeding, but their timing and development are not recorded for this species.
• Adult sheltering and non-breeding activity: Adults may shelter in suitable terrestrial and wetland habitat throughout the year, with detection usually higher in warm or wet weather.
• Highest clearing risk: Plan the highest precaution level from November to April because clearing near breeding places may affect adults, eggs or tadpoles.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Andirrmalin Frog is a poorly known Queensland treefrog. Reliable field identification should be confirmed by an experienced frog ecologist, using photographs, call recordings and, where necessary, expert review.

A detailed published description of field characters and adult size is not available for this profile. Do not rely on colour alone, as frog colour can change with temperature, moisture and stress.

• Photograph the frog from above and from the side.
• Record the location, date, time, weather and nearby habitat.
• Avoid handling unless needed for an approved fauna management action.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The species call and its most similar species are not sufficiently documented here. Other Queensland treefrogs may occur in the same broad habitats and can be difficult to separate by appearance alone.

• Use a clean audio recording when a calling frog is located.
• Record several calls where possible, without repeatedly disturbing the animal.
• Seek confirmation from a suitably experienced herpetologist when identification is uncertain.

Identification: Field signs

Frogs usually leave few dependable signs after they move away. Droppings, nests, whitewash, stains and odour are not reliable indicators for this species.

• Treat a frog, call or fresh observation as a significant record.
• Mark the exact observation point and photograph the surrounding microhabitat.
• Do not assume that an apparently empty site is unused.

Distribution: Queensland range

The Andirrmalin Frog is mapped in Queensland and is not listed as occurring in another Australian state or overseas. The species is associated with the Melville Range region, but the full extent of its range should be checked against current Queensland mapping before works begin.

Current conservation mapping places the species in Queensland. The common name refers to the Melville Range, which is the relevant regional reference for site planning.

• Check the latest Queensland species and habitat mapping for the project footprint.
• Treat mapped habitat as a screening tool, not as proof that frogs are present or absent.
• Ask the project ecologist to confirm whether records occur near the works area.

Distribution: Site records and connectivity

Small frogs can be missed during daytime inspections and may move between shelter, foraging areas and breeding places. Nearby wet areas should therefore be considered when assessing a clearing footprint.

• Search the works area and adjacent retained vegetation.
• Include drainage lines, seepages, temporary pools and wet forest edges in the assessment.
• Retain safe movement routes where practicable.

Habitat: Vegetation and landform

Detailed habitat information for the Andirrmalin Frog is limited. For site assessment, focus on humid terrestrial and wet forest environments with dense vegetation, leaf litter, ground cover and nearby water.

Inspect wet or sheltered vegetation, forest margins, gullies, drainage lines and low lying areas. Dense understorey and ground cover may provide humidity and protection from heat and drying.

• Look for retained rainforest or wet sclerophyll vegetation.
• Include gullies, creek margins, seepages and depressions.
• Check vegetation beside access tracks, pads and proposed clearing edges.

Habitat: Microhabitat features

Useful features may include moist leaf litter, fallen timber, rocks, root hollows, dense grasses, ferns and low shrubs. These features should be recorded even when no frog is seen.

• Map wet refuges and areas that remain shaded during the day.
• Keep machinery, spoil and sediment away from retained wet habitat.
• Prevent unnecessary removal of ground cover and fallen timber.

Habitat: Habitat assessment on works sites

The species is poorly known, so habitat assessment should be precautionary. A habitat feature can remain important even if it is dry during a single inspection.

• Walk the footprint before clearing and after rain where safe.
• Record water, shade, vegetation structure and likely shelter sites.
• Have a fauna spotter catcher check any frog found during clearing.

Foraging habitat: Likely foraging areas

The diet and foraging locations of the Andirrmalin Frog have not been documented in detail. As a treefrog, it is reasonable to inspect both low vegetation and ground level refuges, particularly in humid areas and around water.

Inspect foliage, stems, low shrubs, ferns, grasses, leaf litter and the edges of wet areas. Invertebrate prey is typical of frogs, but the species specific diet is not established.

• Search vegetation and ground cover during suitable night surveys.
• Check shaded edges of drainage lines and wet forest.
• Avoid broad insecticide use near retained habitat unless specifically assessed and controlled.

Foraging habitat: Night observations

Night surveys are generally more useful than daytime searches for active frogs. Survey effort should increase after suitable rain and when humidity is high, while following site safety requirements.

• Use a head torch with care and avoid shining lights continuously at an animal.
• Record the frog's position, height, substrate, behaviour and call if present.
• Keep survey teams quiet and limit trampling of wet ground.

Foraging habitat: Work controls

Clearing can remove feeding surfaces and can also expose frogs to heat, drying and predators. Stage work so that retained wet vegetation remains connected where practicable.

• Inspect vegetation and ground refuges immediately before clearing.
• Use a slow, supervised clearing approach in potential habitat.
• Stop work and obtain ecological direction if an unidentified frog is found.

Breeding habitat: Potential breeding places

The breeding habitat and breeding season of the Andirrmalin Frog are not sufficiently documented. Any wet area that could hold eggs or tadpoles should be treated as a potential breeding place until checked by a qualified ecologist.

Inspect permanent and temporary pools, creek margins, seepages, flooded depressions and slow flowing drainage features. Also check water trapped among vegetation, leaf litter and natural ground hollows.

• Look for eggs, tadpoles, foam, calling males and recently metamorphosed frogs.
• Check both natural water bodies and altered drainage features.
• Include water bodies just outside the clearing footprint if they could be affected by works.

Breeding habitat: Breeding place protection

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of protected wildlife requires appropriate management. A breeding place should not be drained, filled, polluted or otherwise disturbed without project specific ecological and regulatory advice.

• Confirm whether a proposed activity could affect a breeding place before works start.
• Maintain water quality and natural drainage where practicable.
• Use sediment and erosion controls before ground disturbance.

Breeding habitat: Survey and response

Use targeted night call surveys and daytime searches of potential breeding water. Repeat checks under suitable wet conditions when the initial inspection does not resolve the risk.

• Record the condition of the water body and surrounding vegetation.
• Keep people, vehicles and stockpiles away from the water edge.
• If eggs, tadpoles or calling frogs are found, pause the relevant works and contact the project ecologist.

Sheltering habitat: Likely refuges

The Andirrmalin Frog may use moist shelter during the day and during dry or hot weather, but species specific sheltering sites are not well documented. Retain a range of damp, shaded structures rather than focusing on a single feature.

Potential refuges include leaf litter, fallen timber, rock piles, root spaces, dense ground vegetation, ferns and shaded cavities. Wet vegetation beside drainage lines may provide additional shelter.

• Inspect beneath logs, dense vegetation and other cover before clearing.
• Replace disturbed cover only under ecological direction and without trapping animals.
• Do not burn, mulch or bury potential refuges before fauna checks.

Sheltering habitat: Daytime checks

A frog may be hidden and inactive during daytime clearing. A clear visual inspection of the site does not rule out its presence.

• Search cool, damp and shaded areas first.
• Use a spotter catcher during staged clearing in potential habitat.
• Keep removed vegetation in a safe location only where approved by the fauna management plan.

Sheltering habitat: Weather and moisture

Drying conditions can reduce available shelter and increase the risk of injury during clearing. Retain shade and avoid unnecessary changes to surface drainage.

• Schedule high risk clearing when conditions are less likely to cause rapid drying, where practicable.
• Prevent dust, sediment and contaminated runoff entering wet refuges.
• Provide clear stop work triggers for frog observations and unexpected wet habitat.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

The Queensland Vulnerable listing means that clearing and construction should be planned to avoid loss, disturbance and isolation of habitat. The species is poorly known, so controls should be conservative where frogs or potential breeding places are present.

Removal of wet forest, ground cover, shelter and breeding habitat can reduce the places available for feeding, refuge and reproduction.

• Minimise the clearing footprint.
• Fence and mark no go areas before machinery arrives.
• Retain connected vegetation around wet areas and drainage features.

Threats: Hydrology, sediment and pollution

Changes to drainage, increased runoff, sediment, chemicals and poor water quality can affect frogs and their breeding places.

• Install and maintain erosion and sediment controls.
• Keep fuels, concrete washout, chemicals and waste away from water.
• Prevent dirty water from entering creeks, pools, seepages and depressions.

Threats: Construction disturbance and mortality

Vehicles, machinery, stockpiles and uncontrolled clearing can crush frogs or remove their shelter. Night lighting and noise may also alter use of habitat, although species specific effects are not well documented.

• Use staged clearing and a trained fauna spotter catcher.
• Inspect machinery, vegetation piles and trenches before movement or closure.
• Cover or ramp open trenches where fauna could become trapped, and check them regularly.

Threats: Invasive species and disease

Introduced predators and disease can add pressure to vulnerable frog populations. Moving soil, water, plants or equipment between sites can spread pathogens.

• Use clean equipment and follow current frog disease hygiene procedures.
• Do not move frogs, water or wet soil between locations without approval.
• Report unusual frog deaths or signs of disease to the project ecologist and relevant authorities.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Melville Range treefrog is poorly known in the available assessment information. Use a cautious, amphibian-focused survey approach, with extra attention to suitable water bodies, drainage lines, wet forest and areas that may hold frogs during wet weather.

Review recent species records, mapped waterways, wetlands, drainage lines, springs, dams and other potential breeding places before visiting the site.

Map habitat that could be used for shelter, movement or breeding. Include vegetation beside water, moist ground, leaf litter, fallen timber and rock cover.

Check the current Queensland and Commonwealth conservation status before works are approved. Confirm whether the proposed action requires a Queensland permit, authority or species management program, and whether an EPBC referral is needed.

• Obtain current advice from the Queensland Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation before disturbing a suspected breeding place.
• Treat all suitable habitat as potential habitat until field surveys show otherwise.
• Record the search area, habitat types, water condition, access constraints and previous records.

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal frog surveys

Survey after dark when frogs are most likely to call or be active. Give preference to warm, humid or wet conditions, including suitable periods after rain.

Walk slowly around water bodies, drainage lines and wet vegetation. Listen for calls before approaching and search vegetation, ground cover, rocks, logs and shallow water with a torch.

Use more than one visit where habitat is suitable, conditions are poor, or the first survey does not detect frogs. Survey effort should increase with the area and complexity of habitat and the level of proposed disturbance.

• Avoid surveying in strong wind, very dry conditions or heavy rain that prevents safe observation and reliable listening.
• Use call playback only where it is approved, appropriate for the site and unlikely to disturb breeding animals. Do not rely on playback alone.
• Follow hygiene controls between sites. Clean and disinfect boots, equipment and handling gear to reduce the spread of amphibian disease.

Survey methodology: 3. What to record

Record every detection, including calling animals, adults, juveniles, eggs, tadpoles, metamorphs and dead animals.

Describe the location and setting of each detection. Record the water body or drainage feature, vegetation, shelter, weather, recent rain, time, observer and survey method.

Map any suspected breeding place and note whether eggs, tadpoles, calling males or repeated use are present. A breeding place may include a small or temporary water feature.

• Take photographs only where this can be done without handling or disturbing the animal.
• Record the number of animals observed, but do not suggest a population size from a single survey.
• Keep a clear track log, survey dates, start and finish times, weather conditions, equipment used and areas not searched.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and approvals

Plan works to avoid suitable frog habitat and known breeding places. Get the required approvals before clearing, excavation, drainage work or changes to water flow begin.

Redesign the work footprint where practicable to retain wet vegetation, drainage lines, natural water bodies and connected shelter habitat.

Confirm the current listing of the Melville Range treefrog under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 before works commence.

The species is listed as Vulnerable in Queensland and is not listed under the EPBC Act in the assessment information. Check the current Commonwealth list because a change in status may affect referral requirements.

• Obtain any Queensland wildlife permits, clearing authorities and other approvals that apply to the site and proposed action.
• Ask the Queensland department whether a species management program is required before tampering with a breeding place. Do not rely on a general clearing approval if a breeding place is involved.
• Refer a proposed action under the EPBC Act if the current legislation indicates that the action may have a significant impact on a listed species or another protected matter.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and exclusion

Complete a targeted pre-clearance inspection close to the start of works. Search the full disturbance footprint and the retained habitat beside it.

Mark breeding places, wet refuges, movement routes and no-go areas on plans and on the ground. Use fencing or other visible barriers where exclusion is needed.

Set buffers using the habitat condition, drainage pattern, likely movement route, construction risk and advice attached to the approval. Do not apply a generic buffer without ecological justification.

• Keep machinery, spoil, fuels and sediment away from water and moist refuge habitat.
• Prevent new water flow, sediment, pollutants and artificial barriers from entering retained habitat.
• Stop and reassess the work plan if a suspected breeding place is found after the survey.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Timing and crew induction

Schedule the most disruptive works outside periods when frogs are likely to be breeding, where this can be supported by site observations and departmental advice. The breeding season is not defined in the available species information, so do not assume a fixed month range.

Avoid starting works during wet conditions when frogs may be moving or breeding, unless the approved method specifically addresses that risk.

Induct all workers, subcontractors and machine operators before they enter the work area.

• Show workers photographs or an approved identification guide for the Melville Range treefrog and similar frogs.
• Explain no-go areas, hygiene requirements, stop-work powers, reporting lines and the location of the wildlife handling kit.
• Nominate an experienced fauna spotter catcher and give that person authority to stop work immediately.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a staged clearing method that gives frogs a chance to move into retained habitat. Keep a fauna spotter catcher present where the approval, risk assessment or site conditions require one.

Clear vegetation in stages towards retained habitat, while avoiding trapping animals in isolated piles, trenches or enclosed work areas.

Inspect vegetation, ground cover, machinery access routes, excavations and damp features before disturbance and during each stage of clearing.

Keep open trenches, pits and pipes covered or ramped when unattended. Check them before work resumes.

• Maintain exclusion fencing and keep machinery outside marked buffers.
• Use low-impact methods around wet areas and known breeding places.
• Suspend work during conditions that reduce visibility or increase the chance of crushing or trapping frogs.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and breeding places

Only authorised and suitably trained people may capture, handle or relocate frogs. Keep handling brief and use clean, moist, powder-free gloves or other approved hygiene controls.

Place a captured frog in a clean, secure, ventilated container with suitable moisture and shade. Keep animals separate where directed by the fauna procedure.

If eggs, tadpoles, a calling aggregation or another active breeding place is found, stop work in the immediate area and protect the feature from disturbance.

• Contact the project ecologist and the relevant Queensland authority before disturbing an active breeding place.
• Do not move eggs or tadpoles unless the approved method and an authorised person specifically allow it.
• Release a relocated frog only at an approved nearby location with suitable shelter and moisture, and record the release.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injury, death and stop-work response

Treat injured frogs as wildlife emergencies. Reduce handling, keep the animal cool, shaded and moist, and contact a veterinarian or wildlife carer through the project fauna procedure.

Do not apply creams, disinfectants or unapproved treatments. Do not release an injured animal without advice from a qualified wildlife professional.

Stop work and notify the fauna spotter catcher and project manager when a Melville Range treefrog, suspected breeding place or unexpected concentration of frogs is found.

• Follow the approval conditions and contact the Queensland department where a reportable incident, injury, death or unauthorised impact occurs.
• Record the location, time, activity, animal condition, photographs, people involved and immediate controls.
• Preserve the relevant area until the ecologist or regulator confirms the next step.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Daily records

Maintain a daily fauna register for searches, captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, breeding observations, stop-work events and areas cleared.

Link each record to a map location, work stage and photograph where appropriate.

Report unresolved risks to the site supervisor before the next work stage begins.

• Record negative results as well as detections.
• Keep permit numbers, approval conditions, inductions and spotter catcher details with the project records.
• Provide records to the project ecologist and approval holder at the frequency required by the approval.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Complete a final inspection before the area is signed off. Use the results to confirm that animals, breeding places, drainage and retained habitat have been managed as approved.

Inspect the cleared footprint, retained buffers, stockpiles, trenches, drains and nearby wet habitat after clearing and before construction changes hide potential refuges.

Search for trapped, injured or displaced frogs and check that temporary barriers, covers and escape ramps remain effective.

Confirm that no sediment, fuel, concrete washout, altered drainage or construction waste has entered retained habitat.

• Remove temporary hazards only after the fauna spotter catcher confirms that animals are not sheltering within them.
• Repair damaged exclusion fencing and reinstate approved buffers immediately.
• Escalate any unexpected frog concentration, breeding evidence or habitat damage.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals and monitoring

Check approved release locations after relocation where the method requires follow-up. Look for signs of continued shelter use, calling activity or breeding.

Use repeat surveys when the action has affected wet habitat, a known breeding place, connected movement habitat or a significant area of suitable habitat.

Set monitoring duration and methods through the approval, species management program or project ecological risk assessment. Avoid claiming success from a single absence or detection.

• Use the same survey methods where practical so results can be compared between visits.
• Record weather, recent rain, water condition, effort and detections during each monitoring event.
• Report monitoring results, breaches and corrective actions to the approval holder and regulator when required.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Incident review and close-out

Review every injury, death, breeding-place discovery, unplanned habitat impact and stop-work event before the next similar work stage.

Identify the cause and update the clearing sequence, exclusion measures, induction and spotter catcher instructions.

Complete a close-out report that links field records to maps, approvals, photographs and corrective actions.

• Check that all permit and approval conditions have been addressed.
• Keep records for the period required by the relevant approval and legislation.
• Share practical lessons with the construction team before future clearing activities.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat and water

Rehabilitation should restore the wet habitat and movement conditions used by the Melville Range treefrog. The species is poorly known, so favour natural habitat recovery and obtain ecological advice before installing artificial structures.

Reinstate natural drainage patterns and protect shallow wet areas, drainage lines, pools and damp ground that may provide breeding or shelter habitat.

Restore native vegetation around retained or reconstructed wet features. Use locally appropriate species and structure rather than a uniform planting scheme.

Stabilise exposed soil with suitable erosion controls and prevent sediment from entering water during establishment.

• Retain leaf litter, fallen timber, rocks and other natural cover where safe and compatible with the site.
• Remove construction waste, redundant pipes, temporary fill and other artificial hazards.
• Do not create new ponds or alter water levels without ecological assessment, approval and a clear maintenance plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Artificial habitat and breeding structures

Use natural restoration first. Artificial breeding or shelter structures should be installed only where they suit the local habitat, drainage and likely ecology of this frog.

Obtain advice from a qualified amphibian ecologist before designing or placing artificial structures. Nest boxes, bat boxes and bat roost structures are not automatically suitable for a treefrog.

If an artificial breeding feature is approved, specify its design, location, hygiene, water regime, maintenance and removal criteria before installation.

• Do not place structures where they create disease, predator, flooding, drying or entrapment risks.
• Monitor any artificial feature for use, disease, water quality and maintenance problems.
• Remove or modify a structure that becomes a hazard or attracts animals into an unsafe work area.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water quality and lighting

Control weeds without contaminating water or wet shelter habitat. Use methods that avoid direct impacts on frogs, eggs and tadpoles.

Keep fuels, chemicals, fertilisers, concrete washout and sediment away from drainage lines and wet areas.

Design lighting to limit spill into retained wet habitat and movement routes.

• Use shields, timers, low-intensity fittings and warm-spectrum lighting where compatible with safety and approval conditions.
• Maintain ground cover and moisture during rehabilitation without creating stagnant or polluted water.
• Inspect erosion, drainage, weeds and lighting impacts after major rainfall and during site maintenance.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor restored habitat for vegetation establishment, water condition, erosion, weeds, barriers and evidence of frog use.

Use targeted nocturnal surveys after suitable wet conditions when the monitoring objective is to detect frogs or breeding activity.

Review rehabilitation methods if habitat dries, becomes polluted, is isolated or fails to support the intended ecological function.

• Set monitoring triggers and corrective actions in the rehabilitation plan.
• Keep survey and maintenance records with the project environmental records.
• Continue monitoring for the period required by approvals, or longer where the site supports a known breeding place or important retained habitat.

Sources

• Species Technical Committee Assessment Report 1 ..., Queensland Government: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/conservation/threatened-species/classes/species-technical-committee/assessment-report-1-august-2024
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/