Screaming Tree Frog (Litoria quiritatus)

Conservation status

Victoria, Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

The Screaming Tree Frog is poorly known, and no species-specific breeding months have been documented. Treat all months as potential activity and breeding periods until local surveys establish a clearer pattern for the site and region.

Breeding mode: Not recorded

Clutch size: Not recorded

Incubation or larval period: Not recorded

Fledging or weaning: Not recorded

Age at maturity: Not recorded

Breeding sites: Not recorded. Retain streams, wet areas, logs, litter and dense vegetation that may provide amphibian habitat.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded

Timing may vary between years and regions with rainfall, temperature, stream conditions and local habitat quality, so use local records and weather conditions to refine survey timing.

• Potential breeding and calling activity: No month-specific breeding period is known, so plan surveys and controls for potential breeding activity in every month.
• Potential eggs, tadpoles and dependent young: Life stages and their timing are not recorded, so avoid assuming that a site is free of eggs or young outside a particular season.
• Adult activity near streams and wet habitat: Amphibian habitat may be concentrated near streams, and adults may use suitable habitat throughout the year.
• Sheltering in retained habitat: Protect streams, rocky habitat, logs, litter and vegetation complexity during clearing and construction in every month.
• Highest clearing risk: The highest risk period cannot be narrowed by month, so use pre-clearance fauna checks and avoid works near potential breeding habitat wherever practicable.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Screaming Tree Frog is a poorly known frog, and reliable field identification information is limited. Do not identify it from a common name or call alone where other tree frogs may be present.

A confirmed description of the species' distinguishing appearance and adult size should be obtained before field works begin. Ask the project ecologist or relevant state authority to confirm the identification features used for the local population.

Handle any suspected individual carefully and keep it cool, shaded and moist while identification is checked.

• Photograph the frog from above and from the side, without using flash at close range.
• Record the exact location, date, time, weather, habitat and nearby water features.
• Use an experienced amphibian ecologist for confirmation where the species is suspected.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The common name refers to a screaming call, but a species-specific call description is not available for use as a stand-alone field diagnostic. Other tree frogs may call from the same habitat, particularly around streams and moist forest.

Use a combination of call, photographs, morphology, location and habitat. Retain suitable audio recordings where frogs are calling.

• Do not assume every loud or unusual frog call is the Screaming Tree Frog.
• Do not use call playback on a threatened frog site unless it is included in an approved survey method.

Identification: Field signs

No distinctive nests, droppings, stains, odours, whitewash or other non visual signs are available for routine site identification. Direct sightings and verified call records are the most useful field evidence.

• Search moist vegetation, stream margins, logs, litter and other sheltered surfaces during suitable frog activity periods.
• Record frogs heard but not seen, with a precise location and an audio file where possible.

Distribution: Australian range

The Screaming Tree Frog is mapped in New South Wales and Victoria. Available records include the Brogo Vine Forest in the South East Corner Bioregion of New South Wales.

For project screening, consider potential habitat in mapped parts of New South Wales and Victoria. The species' fine scale distribution, population boundaries and movement between sites are poorly defined.

A record in the Brogo Vine Forest indicates that forested habitat near streams can be relevant. The absence of a database record should not be treated as evidence that the species is absent.

• Check state threatened species databases and local records before clearing.
• Search all suitable moist habitat within and beside the disturbance footprint.
• Map records, probable habitat and connected streamside vegetation.

Distribution: Site scale planning

Plan surveys across the full area proposed for clearing, access, compounds, drainage works and machinery movement. Include nearby habitat that could be affected by altered drainage, sediment, noise, fire or loss of vegetation.

• Give particular attention to forested patches containing streams.
• Retain connectivity between moist habitat patches where practicable.
• Escalate a suspected record to the project ecologist before work continues in that area.

Distribution: Overseas range

The Screaming Tree Frog is treated here as an Australian species. No overseas range is identified for project planning.

Habitat: Vegetation and landform

The species is associated with terrestrial habitat, and the Brogo Vine Forest can provide amphibian habitat, especially near streams. On works sites, retain moist forest structure and avoid changes that dry, isolate or pollute these areas.

Look for forested vegetation with streams, moist ground and a complex layer of understorey, logs and leaf litter. Gullies and other low lying areas that retain moisture may also warrant assessment.

The species-specific use of particular plant communities, soil types or landforms is not well defined.

• Streamside forest and vine forest.
• Moist gullies and drainage lines.
• Areas with dense understorey, logs, litter and shaded ground.

Habitat: Habitat features to retain

Protect streams, rocky habitat, logs, litter and vegetation complexity. These features provide cover and may support the frog's food resources and movement through the site.

• Keep clearing boundaries away from stream margins where possible.
• Prevent sediment, concrete washout, fuel and other pollutants entering water.
• Avoid unnecessary removal of understorey and ground cover.

Habitat: Habitat assessment

Use representative on ground surveys where habitat condition is uncertain. Record the survey date, weather, recent disturbance, search effort, surveyor expertise and limitations.

• Allow time after disturbance for vegetation and diagnostic habitat features to become evident.
• Record the condition and continuity of moist habitat across the patch.
• Include the effect of proposed drainage, fire and machinery access in the assessment.

Foraging habitat: Features to look for

Species-specific foraging information is limited. As a tree frog, the Screaming Tree Frog is expected to feed on small invertebrates, so moist vegetation and undisturbed ground features should be retained around potential habitat.

Potential foraging habitat includes moist forest near streams, dense vegetation, leaf litter, logs and other surfaces that support insects and other small invertebrates.

• Retain shaded understorey and ground cover.
• Avoid broad removal of litter, fallen timber and low vegetation.
• Limit lighting that could alter nocturnal frog activity near retained habitat.

Foraging habitat: Managing works areas

Keep stockpiles, spoil, vehicle parking and chemical storage out of moist habitat and streamside areas. Prevent dust, sediment and pollutants from reducing habitat quality.

• Use clearly marked exclusion zones around retained habitat.
• Inspect erosion and sediment controls after rain.
• Restore disturbed ground with suitable local vegetation and ground cover where required.

Foraging habitat: Survey considerations

Night searches and call surveys may be useful when conditions support frog activity, but survey design should be set by a qualified amphibian ecologist. Record weather and recent disturbance because these factors affect detectability.

• Use repeated or complementary survey methods where the species is a project constraint.
• Treat a single negative survey as insufficient evidence of absence in suitable habitat.
• Apply strict hygiene procedures between sites and waterways.

Breeding habitat: Potential breeding areas

The breeding place types and breeding timing of the Screaming Tree Frog are poorly defined for site planning. Streams and other moist habitat should be treated as potentially important breeding areas until assessment shows otherwise.

Give priority to streams, pools, wet depressions and adjoining moist vegetation during surveys. Do not assume that only permanent water is relevant.

• Inspect water edges, shallow pools and inundated ground.
• Search adjoining vegetation and ground cover for calling or sheltering frogs.
• Map breeding habitat separately from the broader terrestrial habitat.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Confirmed breeding timing, egg laying sites, clutch size and larval habitat requirements are not sufficiently defined for routine project scheduling. Avoid works during periods when frogs are calling or breeding where practicable.

• Schedule high disturbance activities outside important breeding periods identified by the project ecologist.
• Do not drain, fill or isolate water features without an approved assessment and mitigation plan.
• Maintain natural flows and avoid sudden changes in water quality or water levels.

Breeding habitat: Breeding place protection

Any suspected breeding place should be protected from machinery, sediment, chemical spills and unnecessary vegetation removal. If breeding activity is found, stop work in the immediate area and seek direction from the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist.

• Mark exclusion zones before machinery enters the site.
• Maintain effective erosion and sediment controls.
• Document adults, eggs, tadpoles and calling activity if observed.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

Specific sheltering and overwintering sites have not been defined for this species. Retain the moist structural features used by frogs generally, particularly near streams and within connected forest habitat.

Potential shelter includes dense vegetation, leaf litter, logs, rocks, crevices and damp ground near streams. These features can be damaged by clearing, grading, fire and heavy machinery.

• Retain logs, rocks, litter and low vegetation where they do not create a safety hazard.
• Avoid compacting soil in moist habitat.
• Keep machinery out of retained shelter areas.

Sheltering habitat: Handling during clearing

Before tree removal or heavy machinery works, undertake fauna searches for frogs and other fauna using the area. A trained fauna spotter catcher should inspect vegetation, logs, litter and ground features as they are disturbed.

• Stop work if a frog is found in the clearing area until it is safely managed.
• Keep captured frogs in a clean, secure, shaded container for the shortest practical time.
• Use an approved relocation or release procedure directed by the project ecologist.

Sheltering habitat: Buffers and exclusion zones

Avoid further clearance and damage to suitable forest patches. Apply at least a 50 m buffer from the outer edge of a qualifying ecological community patch, and use a larger buffer, such as 100 m, for very high conservation value patches where practicable.

• Fence and sign buffers before mobilisation.
• Keep access tracks, laydown areas and spoil outside buffers.
• Inspect exclusion fencing after rain and vehicle movements.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

The main project risks are loss and fragmentation of moist forest habitat, damage to streams and shelter features, disease spread and inappropriate fire. The Victorian critically endangered listing calls for conservative planning and strong controls wherever potential habitat is present.

Clearing forest, understorey and streamside vegetation can remove shelter, foraging habitat and possible breeding areas. New roads, compounds and tracks can also isolate habitat and increase edge effects.

• Avoid clearing suitable patches wherever practicable.
• Use existing disturbed access routes.
• Retain habitat connections between streams and forest patches.

Threats: Water quality and drainage

Sediment, pollutants, altered drainage and flow changes can reduce the suitability of stream and wetland habitat. Construction controls must prevent runoff from entering retained frog habitat.

• Install and maintain erosion and sediment controls before earthworks.
• Keep fuels, chemicals, concrete and wash water away from waterways.
• Repair drainage failures promptly.

Threats: Chytrid fungus and hygiene

Chytrid fungus is a potential threat to frogs in the relevant forest habitat. Field teams can spread pathogens between waterways through boots, equipment, vehicles and handling.

• Use current amphibian hygiene procedures between sites and waterways.
• Disinfect equipment and footwear as required by the project hygiene plan.
• Do not move frogs, water, mud or wet vegetation between locations.

Threats: Fire and vegetation management

Fire can change habitat suitability and resource availability for amphibians. Planned burns, slashing and post fire works should retain moist refuges, streamside vegetation, logs, litter and vegetation complexity.

• Identify frog habitat and refuges before planned burning.
• Avoid intense or poorly controlled fire near streams and moist forest.
• Inspect recently burnt areas before clearing or machinery access.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Screaming Tree Frog is poorly known, so survey design should be adapted to local habitat and records. Focus on streams, wet areas, dense vegetation and other sheltered sites, with extra effort after suitable rain and during periods of frog calling.

Review current records, aerial imagery, drainage lines, wetlands, pools, streams and areas of dense vegetation before finalising the survey design.

Check whether the site is within or near the Brogo Vine Forest ecological community in the South East Corner Bioregion. Consider the ecological community's fauna habitat values, especially near streams.

Confirm the applicable state threatened species, wildlife handling, clearing and planning requirements. The species is mapped in New South Wales and Victoria, and is listed as Critically Endangered in Victoria.

• Map all potential breeding places, including permanent and temporary pools, stream margins, seepages and flooded depressions.
• Check recent rainfall, temperature, fire history, disturbance and waterway condition.
• Review local records and consult the relevant state wildlife authority where records are limited or uncertain.

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal frog surveys

Use nocturnal visual encounter surveys when frogs are likely to be active, particularly after suitable rain and during local calling periods. Search stream edges, wet ground, low vegetation, leaf litter, logs and other cover.

Listen for calling frogs from several points around suitable habitat before entering the area. Call surveys can help locate animals that are difficult to see.

Use head torches with care and minimise handling. Search slowly and quietly so frogs are not displaced before they are recorded.

• Record survey date, start and finish times, weather, recent rainfall, temperature, wind, cloud cover and water conditions.
• Record the number of surveyors, person-hours, areas searched, route or transect locations and survey limitations.
• Photograph animals in place where possible and record the location of each observation with a reliable coordinate.
• Use experienced amphibian ecologists for call identification and confirm uncertain records with photographs or recordings.

Survey methodology: 3. Breeding place and tadpole searches

Inspect suitable water bodies during daylight and, where safe, at night. Search shallow margins, submerged vegetation, leaf litter, debris and sheltered edges for adults, eggs and tadpoles.

Do not drain, trample or disturb pools while searching. Use clean equipment between water bodies to reduce the spread of chytrid fungus and other pathogens.

The breeding period and breeding place types are not well defined for this species. Use local observations, rainfall and calling activity to refine the survey window.

• Record adults, eggs, tadpoles and calling activity separately.
• Describe the water body, including flow, depth, permanence, vegetation, substrate, shade, connectivity and nearby shelter.
• If eDNA is used, use an appropriately designed amphibian protocol and interpret a positive result with an ecologist experienced in confirming frog records.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey adequacy and reporting

Design effort to cover the full range of habitat and disturbance conditions across the proposed clearing area and its surrounds. Repeat surveys when conditions are unsuitable or when a single visit cannot resolve identification or breeding activity.

For ecological-community assessments, use representative plots or transects that cover variation across the patch. Record the survey date, effort, surveyor expertise, weather and limitations.

• Map all records and potential breeding places in relation to the clearing footprint, access tracks, stockpiles, drainage works and proposed buffers.
• Report negative results with the actual effort and conditions, rather than describing the species as absent.
• Treat an uncertain frog record as a possible Screaming Tree Frog until an appropriately qualified person has checked it.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and permits

Plan works around known or potential frog habitat. Avoidance is preferred because the species is poorly known and relocation may not protect breeding places or local populations.

Before work starts, obtain advice from the relevant environment and wildlife authorities on threatened species approvals, clearing controls, animal ethics and fauna handling requirements.

The Screaming Tree Frog is not listed under the EPBC Act in the available listing information. An EPBC referral may still be required where the action could significantly affect another protected matter, including the Endangered Brogo Vine Forest ecological community.

In Queensland, confirm whether the activity affects a protected breeding place. Where required, obtain an approved species management program before tampering with that breeding place. The species is mapped in New South Wales and Victoria, so confirm the relevant state permits and approvals for those jurisdictions.

• Check project approval conditions, threatened species listings and local planning controls before finalising the method statement.
• Use only fauna spotter catchers and handlers who hold the required authority for the jurisdiction and task.
• Keep copies of approvals, permit conditions, rescue contacts and stop-work triggers at the site office and in field vehicles.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and buffers

Retain streams, pools, seepages, wet ground, dense vegetation, logs, leaf litter, rocky shelter and connected habitat wherever practicable.

Where work affects the Brogo Vine Forest ecological community, apply at least a 50 m buffer from the outer edge of the patch. Use a larger buffer, such as 100 m, for very high-conservation-value patches where practical. These buffers are ecological-community guidance, not a species-specific breeding distance.

Do not place access tracks, machinery, spoil, sediment controls or lighting in retained frog habitat unless the approved design specifically allows it.

• Mark retained habitat, waterways, breeding places and no-go areas before mobilisation.
• Fence or otherwise clearly delineate exclusion areas, and inspect the fencing after heavy rain or site changes.
• Design drainage and erosion controls so that sediment, chemicals and altered flows do not enter breeding or shelter habitat.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and timing

Complete a targeted pre-clearance survey close to the start of works. Search both the footprint and areas that could be affected by access, vibration, noise, lighting, dewatering or changed drainage.

Schedule works outside periods of local calling, breeding and movement to breeding water where practicable. Local timing is uncertain, so use recent rainfall, calling observations and advice from the project ecologist to set the work window.

Repeat the survey if clearing is delayed, conditions change substantially or new water bodies form.

• Inspect pools, stream margins, wet vegetation, litter, logs and other cover before machinery enters.
• Search for adults, eggs, tadpoles and signs of active breeding, not just visible adult frogs.
• Stop and reassess if a breeding place is found inside or immediately beside the work area.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induct the work crew

Give all workers a short site induction before clearing. Show photographs or approved identification material and explain that frogs may be hidden in wet vegetation, litter, machinery and soil.

Explain the stop-work process and the location of exclusion areas. Make clear that workers must not catch, move, keep or release frogs unless authorised.

• Tell workers to report every frog, tadpole, egg mass, injured animal and suspected breeding place immediately.
• Prohibit unnecessary entry into streams, pools and retained habitat.
• Require washdown and clean footwear and equipment before entering frog habitat, following the project's hygiene procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear in stages

Use a staged, supervised clearing method. The fauna spotter catcher or authorised ecologist must have clear authority to stop work whenever an animal, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

Clear vegetation progressively towards retained habitat, where the approved method allows, so animals have an opportunity to move away from machinery. Keep machinery out of exclusion zones and wet habitat.

Use hand clearing around logs, litter, dense vegetation, pools and stream margins where the risk of concealed frogs is high.

Avoid night clearing unless it is specifically approved and supported by a fauna management plan. Night work can coincide with frog activity and reduce detection.

• Inspect each work area immediately before clearing.
• Search felled vegetation, disturbed soil, machinery tracks and pooled water before the next stage begins.
• Keep a spotter catcher present and able to communicate directly with the machine operator and supervisor.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to animals and breeding places

Stop work when a Screaming Tree Frog, suspected frog, eggs, tadpoles or an active breeding place is found. Establish a temporary exclusion area and notify the fauna spotter catcher and site ecologist.

Do not disturb an active breeding place while approval conditions and the agreed response are being checked. An active breeding place may require protection, a revised work method or an authorised relocation response.

Only an authorised and appropriately trained person may handle or relocate the animal. Use clean, suitable equipment and minimise handling time.

• Record the animal or breeding place location, condition, habitat, photographs, time and action taken.
• Seek direction from the project ecologist and relevant authority if the find is outside the approved scenario.
• Do not release a relocated frog into an unassessed water body or across a road. Use only an approved release site and method.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Manage injured animals

Do not continue work around an injured frog until the area is safe and the animal has been assessed. Avoid touching the animal unless an authorised handler directs it.

Place an injured animal in a clean, secure, appropriately ventilated container, away from direct sun, heat, vibration and chemicals. Keep it separate from other animals and follow the wildlife carer or veterinarian's instructions.

Arrange prompt assessment by an approved wildlife carer or veterinarian. Do not release an injured animal without professional advice.

• Record the injury, location, time, likely cause, photographs and person who took custody.
• Use a documented chain of custody from the site to the carer or veterinarian.
• Clean and disinfect equipment in accordance with the project's amphibian hygiene procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Keep field records

Maintain a daily fauna register during clearing and construction. Record all searches, captures, relocations, injuries, deaths, breeding places, stop-work events and permit notifications.

Include the name and authority of each handler, the work area, weather, habitat condition and machinery activity.

• Map each observation and exclusion area.
• Record whether the animal was released, transferred for care, found dead or not relocated.
• Provide incident records to the project manager and regulator when required by approval conditions.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post-clearance checks

Complete a careful close-out after each clearing stage and follow up any relocation, injury or breeding-place event. Use the results to improve the next work stage and the broader site controls.

Inspect the cleared area, retained habitat edges, drainage lines, spoil areas and access routes after machinery leaves. Search shaded, damp refuges and newly formed pools for frogs and trapped animals.

Check that exclusion fencing, sediment controls, waterway protections and habitat buffers remain intact.

Repeat checks after substantial rain, flooding, machinery movement or changes to drainage where the site remains active.

• Record the date, personnel, area checked, weather, effort and findings.
• Remove or modify hazards such as open trenches, pipes, pits, uncovered tanks and water-filled containers.
• Keep any discovered frog or breeding place under the authorised response procedure.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Follow up relocated animals

Inspect approved release sites where this is required by the management plan or permit. Check for habitat condition, water availability, disturbance and evidence of chytrid hygiene breaches.

Do not repeatedly handle released frogs just to confirm survival. Use non-invasive observations and follow the approved monitoring design.

Report failed releases, unexpected mortality or animals returning to unsafe areas to the project ecologist and relevant authority.

• Keep release records, including date, location, habitat description, number of animals and handler.
• Compare release sites with the conditions specified in the approval or species management program.
• Maintain release-site protection for the period required by the project approval.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Report and review incidents

Prepare a close-out report covering survey effort, records, clearing stages, breeding places, injuries, deaths, relocations, permit notifications and any departures from the approved method.

Review every stop-work event with the supervisor, spotter catcher and ecologist before the next clearing stage.

• Identify whether the event resulted from inadequate survey coverage, poor exclusion controls, unexpected habitat or crew non-compliance.
• Update the induction, maps, timing, exclusion areas and clearing method where needed.
• Submit statutory reports within the timeframes in the relevant approval, permit or management program.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Monitor retained habitat

Where works are close to streams, wetlands or retained frog habitat, monitor water quality, sediment, flow, vegetation condition and artificial lighting during construction and early operation.

Use targeted frog surveys when required by the approval or when works have altered habitat, drainage or disturbance patterns.

• Compare results with pre-work conditions where suitable baseline information exists.
• Investigate declines in calling activity, breeding evidence or habitat condition rather than assuming that frogs have moved elsewhere.
• Keep monitoring records with the project's environmental management documents.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat and water

Rehabilitation should restore connected, shaded and low-disturbance habitat around suitable water. The Screaming Tree Frog's breeding requirements are not well defined, so restoration should favour natural habitat and local reference sites over untested artificial structures.

Reinstate natural drainage patterns and protect streams, pools, seepages and damp ground from sediment, pollutants, stock access and unnecessary trampling.

Replant locally appropriate native vegetation to restore shade, understorey cover, leaf litter and structural complexity. Retain or replace suitable logs, rocks and coarse woody debris where this is consistent with the approved rehabilitation design.

Use clean, weed-free soil, mulch and plant material. Avoid creating isolated pools that dry too quickly, become polluted or encourage predators.

• Stabilise exposed soil and control erosion before rain.
• Keep rehabilitation areas free from machinery, vehicles and storage.
• Maintain habitat connections between water bodies, retained vegetation and shelter areas.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Manage weeds, fire and chemicals

Control weeds using methods that do not contaminate water or expose frogs to harmful chemicals. Follow label directions, weather restrictions and project waterway controls.

Plan fire and fuel management to retain streamside refuges, damp ground, logs, litter and vegetation complexity. Avoid burning when frogs, eggs or tadpoles may be vulnerable and follow the approved fire plan.

Prevent concrete washout, hydrocarbons, herbicides, sediment and other pollutants from entering frog habitat.

• Inspect rehabilitation areas for weed invasion, erosion, altered drainage and drying of water bodies.
• Keep fire management activities outside retained refuges wherever practicable.
• Use spill kits and report every spill or water-quality incident.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Use artificial structures cautiously

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures as a default measure for the Screaming Tree Frog. These structures are not established replacements for its breeding or shelter habitat.

Consider artificial breeding or shelter structures only when a qualified amphibian ecologist identifies a local need, the design is based on local evidence and the relevant approval allows it.

Prefer natural pools, stream margins, dense vegetation, litter, logs and connected habitat. Monitor any experimental structure for use, disease, overheating, drying and maintenance problems.

• Obtain authority approval before installing or moving any artificial structure in or near a waterway.
• Use materials that do not leach contaminants and do not create traps for frogs or other wildlife.
• Remove unsuccessful or unsafe structures after review by the project ecologist.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage lighting and ongoing disturbance

Keep lighting away from streams, pools, damp vegetation and retained habitat. Use the lowest practical intensity, shield lights and direct them only to the work area.

Avoid strong, continuous lighting at frog habitat edges where practicable. Manage noise, vibration, vehicle access and night works under the project's environmental controls.

• Use timers, motion controls and shielding where these meet safety requirements.
• Inspect lighting after commissioning and whenever the layout changes.
• Prevent vehicles and pedestrians from using rehabilitated habitat as informal access routes.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Monitor rehabilitation

Set monitoring objectives around habitat condition, water quality, breeding evidence and frog use. Use repeatable methods and comparable survey conditions rather than relying only on casual sightings.

Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval and until rehabilitation is stable. Extend monitoring if pools, vegetation, drainage or habitat connectivity remain below the agreed outcome.

• Record calling activity, adults, eggs, tadpoles, water condition, vegetation cover, weeds, erosion and threats.
• Use local reference sites where available to judge whether rehabilitation is developing suitable frog habitat.
• Repair failures promptly and document the action taken.

Sources

• Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government DCCEEW: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/communities/pubs/55-conservation-advice.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/