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Southern Corroboree Frog (Pseudophryne corroboree)

A small, critically endangered alpine frog restricted to Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It breeds in shallow pools and seepages in sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands and wet heath, so clearing, trampling, altered drainage, fire and disease controls are important on any project near suitable habitat.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Critically endangered.

New South Wales, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Critically endangered.

Breeding season

Southern Corroboree Frogs breed in shallow pools and seepages from late December to February. Eggs remain in terrestrial nests until rain or snowmelt triggers hatching, and tadpoles remain in pools through winter and spring before metamorphosing in early summer. Avoid clearing, draining or dewatering breeding habitat during these periods.

Reproductive mode: Egg-laying, terrestrial nesting frog. Eggs develop in land-based nest chambers before hatching into aquatic tadpoles.

Clutch size: Usually 16 to 38 eggs per female; a mean clutch size of 26.4 eggs has also been reported.

Incubation or gestation: Eggs develop in terrestrial nests until autumn or winter rainfall or snowmelt floods the nest. Hatching after about 4 to 6 months has been reported.

Size at hatching or birth: Not recorded.

Age at maturity: Most males mature at about 4 years after metamorphosis. Females generally mature at 4 to 5 years.

Nest or egg sites: Small terrestrial chambers in sphagnum moss, wet tussock or other soft vegetation beside shallow, often ephemeral pools and seepages.

Breeding frequency: Annual breeding is reported, usually from mid to late summer.

Confirm timing locally before works, particularly against rainfall, snowmelt, pool water persistence and seasonal temperature conditions.

  • Calling: Males call from late December to mid February, with January and February the main calling months. Calling occurs from small chambers at the edges of breeding pools.
  • Egg laying: Females lay 16 to 38 eggs in terrestrial nests occupied by calling males. Egg laying is concentrated in January and February, although breeding can begin in late December.
  • Tadpoles: Rain or snowmelt triggers hatching in autumn and winter. Tadpoles move into the main pool, overwinter there and continue growing through spring until early summer.
  • Metamorphs: Metamorphosis occurs in early summer, with late spring also reported. Juveniles then leave breeding pools and move into adjacent woodland, heath and dense ground cover.
  • Active period: Species records confirm movement into breeding habitat in early summer and movement away from pools after metamorphosis. The broader October to April active period is general guidance for a temperate montane frog and should be adjusted to local temperature and rainfall.
  • Winter inactivity: Adults and juveniles use leaf litter, logs and dense ground cover in winter. This indicates winter sheltering, but the documents do not confirm hibernation or complete inactivity.
  • Highest clearing risk: Risk is highest in January and February when calling adults and terrestrial eggs are concentrated around breeding pools. Risk is also high from August to December while wetland hydrology supports overwintering tadpoles, spring growth and early summer metamorphosis; sheltering adults and juveniles can be harmed at other times.

Identification

The Southern Corroboree Frog is a very small, brightly patterned terrestrial frog. It is most reliably detected by its breeding call during summer, rather than by visual searches outside the breeding period.

Adults have bright yellow longitudinal stripes alternating with black stripes on the back. The underside has black, yellow and white blotches. The skin above is slightly granular, with low warts that can form longitudinal ridges.

Adults are usually 25 to 30 mm long. Tadpoles are dark brown to black and have a relatively long, paddle-shaped tail. They may begin to show the adult pattern as the legs develop.

Adult length: 25 to 30 mm

Tadpole colour: Dark brown to black

Adult call: A short squelch

Identification: Similar species

The species most likely to be confused with is the Northern Corroboree Frog, Pseudophryne pengilleyi. The Southern Corroboree Frog has bright yellow, generally unbroken stripes, while the Northern Corroboree Frog usually has narrower, more broken stripes that range from yellow to lime green.

The two species are geographically separated. The Southern Corroboree Frog occurs in the Snowy Mountains, while the Northern Corroboree Frog occurs farther north in parts of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

Identification: Field signs and survey detection

Breeding males call from small chambers in moss, grass or other soft vegetation at the edges of breeding pools. The species is most detectable during the active breeding period from late December to early February, especially in the middle of the calling cycle.

Call surveys should include a listening period and may use call playback. Males can respond to loud shouting by an observer. Visual searches outside the breeding period can find frogs under logs, litter, rocks and dense ground cover, but detection is inconsistent.

Eggs are laid in terrestrial nests, and tadpoles later occur in adjacent pools. Larvae are difficult to find, so absence should not be inferred from a single search.

Minimum survey effort: Two consecutive days at suitable locations

Best survey period: Late December to early February, with the middle of the calling cycle preferred

  • Survey suitable bogs, seepages and pool margins during January and February.
  • Use at least two consecutive days of survey at each location, with repeated surveys where absence needs to be assessed.
  • Search under logs, leaf litter, rocks and dense ground cover outside the calling period.
  • Record calling males, egg nests, tadpoles, pool condition and signs of trampling or altered drainage.

Distribution: State and bioregion range

The species is endemic to Australia and is restricted to the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales. Its current range is confined to a small remnant area in and around the Jagungal Wilderness area of Kosciuszko National Park.

The Southern Corroboree Frog is known only from New South Wales. All known and historical populations occur within Kosciuszko National Park.

The indicative New South Wales distribution includes the Australian Alps bioregion, Snowy Mountains subregion, and the South Eastern Highlands bioregion, Monaro subregion. Recorded habitat is generally above 1,000 m, with the broader historical altitudinal range extending from about 1,300 to 1,760 m.

Australian state: New South Wales only

Bioregions: Australian Alps and South Eastern Highlands

Current stronghold: Jagungal Wilderness area, Kosciuszko National Park

Historical range: From Smiggin Holes in the south to the Maragle Range in the north

Historical altitude: About 1,300 to 1,760 m above sea level

Distribution: Range contraction and populations

The species has disappeared from, or declined severely at, many former sites, including Pretty Plain, Happy Jacks Plain, Finns Swamp, Whites River, Smiggin Holes and the Guthega area. The remaining occurrences are isolated and are managed as a single highly restricted population for conservation purposes, although four to six subpopulations may occur based on drainage systems and management units.

The wild population has been supported by captive breeding and release programs. More than 100 captive-bred individuals were released in 2019 and a further 100 in 2023.

Reduction in extent of occurrence: About 90 percent

Reported current extent of occurrence: About 60 km²

Reported area of occupancy: About 0.8 km²

Mature wild population estimate: About 100 to 150 individuals in January 2008

Historical monitoring trend: 379 calling males across 40 sites in 1999, falling to 13 calling males at eight sites by 2007

Habitat: Habitat types

This is a habitat specialist of gently sloping montane and subalpine country. It needs connected breeding and non-breeding habitat, with suitable moisture, ground cover and shallow pools.

Breeding habitat includes sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands, wet heath, pools and seepages. Non-breeding habitat occurs in adjacent snow gum woodland, subalpine woodland, tall heath and heath forest.

Breeding sites are often on granitic or volcanic substrates. Pools are generally shallow, sometimes ephemeral, have relatively large surface areas and low water flow rates.

Elevation: Usually above 1,000 m; historical occupied range about 1,300 to 1,760 m

Breeding waterbodies: Shallow pools and seepages, often ephemeral

Typical pool condition: Relatively large surface area and low water flow

Habitat: Vegetation and structure

Breeding sites may include spreading rope-rush, Empodisma minus, peat moss, Sphagnum cristatum, Baeckea gunniana and Epacris paludosa, together with other wetland plants.

Important terrestrial structure includes leaf litter, fallen logs, rocks, moss, sedges and dense ground cover. These features provide cover around breeding sites and in adjacent overwintering habitat.

  • Retain sphagnum, moss, tussocks, sedges and dense low vegetation around pools and seepages.
  • Avoid disturbing peat, drainage lines, pool margins and the ground layer in adjoining snow gum woodland and heath.
  • Treat connected wet breeding and terrestrial cover as one habitat unit during site assessment.

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The Southern Corroboree Frog feeds on small invertebrates in moist terrestrial habitat. Available information supports a broad prey description, but does not identify a defined foraging range or specific food plant dependence.

The diet consists mainly of small black ants and other invertebrates. Adults and juveniles forage in the litter, under logs and within dense ground cover in snow gum woodland, heath and other moist habitat adjacent to breeding bogs.

Tadpoles feed and grow slowly in breeding pools through spring as the water warms.

Main adult prey: Small black ants and other invertebrates

Tadpole feeding habitat: Shallow breeding pools

Known foraging range: Not quantified; adults can disperse more than 300 m into surrounding woodland

  • Retain moist litter, logs, rocks and dense ground cover around breeding sites.
  • Avoid removing terrestrial cover between breeding pools and surrounding woodland or heath.
  • Protect shallow pools from sediment, drying and contamination during works.

Breeding habitat: Breeding biology

Breeding occurs in summer at shallow pools and seepages in wet bog and heath habitats. Eggs are laid on land, but successful recruitment depends on nearby pools retaining water through the tadpole period.

Males move into breeding areas in early summer and call from covered chambers at pool edges. Females visit briefly and lay eggs in terrestrial nests occupied by calling males.

Embryos develop within the eggs and hatch after substantial autumn or winter rain or snowmelt. Tadpoles overwinter in pools, grow through spring and metamorphose in early summer.

Breeding season: Late December to early February, mainly January and February

Clutch size: Usually 16 to 38 eggs, with 20 to 30 reported in the species profile

Egg development: Embryos develop to an advanced stage in terrestrial nests and hatch in autumn or winter after high rainfall or snowmelt

Tadpole period: Tadpoles overwinter in pools and metamorphose in early summer

Age at maturity: Most males about 4 years after metamorphosis; females generally 4 to 5 years

Longevity: Average longevity about 6 years; oldest identified individual 10 years

Generation length: Estimated at 5 to 7 years

Breeding habitat: Breeding site requirements

Suitable sites have shallow pools or seepages with low flow, wet moss, tussocks or sedges for nest chambers, and adjacent ground cover for adults and juveniles. Pools must retain water long enough for tadpoles to reach metamorphosis.

Early pool drying can cause complete recruitment failure in a breeding year. Maintain natural water tables, peat structure and drainage patterns around breeding habitat.

Average egg to metamorphosis survival: About 20 percent when pools do not dry early

Effect of early pool drying: Typically 100 percent failure of recruitment to metamorphosis in drought years

  • Exclude machinery, stock and feral animals from pools, seepages, peat and nest vegetation.
  • Do not drain, infill, compact or divert water from breeding pools.
  • Schedule any unavoidable work outside the active breeding period and obtain species-specific advice before disturbing known or potential breeding habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Refuges and overwintering cover

The species uses small ground-level refuges rather than large hollows or dens. Shelter is provided by moist vegetation and debris in both breeding and non-breeding areas.

Outside the breeding season, adults move from bogs into surrounding heath and snow gum woodland. They shelter under leaf litter, logs, rocks and dense ground cover.

Males use small chambers in sphagnum moss, grass or other soft vegetation at the edges of breeding pools. Females lay eggs in these terrestrial nests before leaving the breeding area.

Known refuge types: Leaf litter, logs, rocks, dense ground cover, moss and soft vegetation

Known refuge size: Not quantified; breeding chambers are described as small

Dispersal into adjacent habitat: Adults can move more than 300 m into surrounding woodland

  • Retain logs, litter, rocks, moss, sedges and dense understorey near pools and seepages.
  • Do not rake, slash, burn, stockpile materials on or compact the ground layer in suitable habitat.
  • Inspect moist ground cover and pool margins carefully before moving debris or commencing works.

Threats: Disease and biosecurity

The main threats are chytrid disease, drying and degradation of bog habitat, fire and damage by feral animals. A project can add risk through vegetation removal, fragmentation, altered drainage, trampling, pathogen transfer and disturbance of small breeding sites.

Chytridiomycosis, caused by the introduced amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is the primary cause of decline identified for the species. The fungus can be transferred between accessible breeding sites by people, equipment and other pathways.

Apply current amphibian hygiene and decontamination procedures to footwear, vehicles, tools, survey equipment and handling activities. Do not move water, mud, frogs, tadpoles or wet vegetation between sites.

  • Use clean, disinfected equipment between sites and follow the approved project biosecurity procedure.
  • Keep personnel and equipment out of breeding pools unless the work is specifically authorised and managed by appropriately experienced personnel.
  • Report sick, dead or unusual frogs through the project environmental incident process.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and hydrology

Loss and degradation of bogs, wet heath, tussock grasslands, woodland and dense ground cover reduce breeding and shelter habitat. Altered drainage, compaction, sediment input and water table decline can dry pools and peat beds.

The species has a very small, fragmented range and limited known dispersal between isolated sites. Even small works near a breeding pool may remove nest cover, interrupt movement to adjacent woodland or change water persistence.

Historical range loss: About 90 percent reduction in extent of occurrence

Local extinction: The species has become locally extinct from more than 85 percent of areas where it was historically known

  • Avoid clearing sphagnum bogs, wet heath, seepages, pool margins and adjacent ground cover.
  • Maintain natural drainage and prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, concrete washout and other pollutants entering pools.
  • Use exclusion fencing and clearly marked no-go areas around confirmed and potential breeding habitat.
  • Assess indirect effects from access tracks, drainage outlets, dewatering, spoil placement and construction vibration before works begin.

Threats: Fire and feral animals

Fire can kill frogs and damage breeding nests, peat, moss and wetland structure. Extensive fires in 2003 burnt more than 90 percent of the species' habitat and occurred during the breeding period.

Feral pigs, horses and deer damage bogs, pools and overwintering habitat through trampling, grazing, excavation and altered drainage. Feral pigs can also contribute to disease transmission.

  • Keep fire, hot works and ignition sources away from bogs, peat, moss and dense ground cover.
  • Plan emergency access and fire control measures so that they do not damage pools, seepages or adjacent shelter habitat.
  • Prevent construction traffic, temporary access and material storage from entering wetland habitat.
  • Coordinate feral animal controls with the land manager before works commence.

Threats: Climate and project disturbance

Warmer temperatures, reduced rainfall and reduced snow can lower water tables and dry bogs and pools before tadpoles metamorphose. Drought can therefore cause recruitment failure even where adult frogs are not directly disturbed.

Recreation and works access can increase pathogen spread and trampling at breeding sites. Avoid unnecessary visits, particularly during the January to February calling and nesting period and during autumn and winter when eggs and tadpoles depend on suitable moisture.

  • Use weather and water level observations to adjust works near breeding habitat.
  • Do not pump, divert or discharge water in a way that changes pool persistence or peat moisture.
  • Treat all potential breeding and overwintering habitat as sensitive until targeted assessment confirms otherwise.

Survey methodology: 1. Call surveys and call playback

Survey this species only where suitable habitat occurs within or near the project area. The Southern Corroboree Frog is restricted to subalpine habitat in Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, so confirm the location against current species and project information before relying on a survey result.

Survey breeding pools, seepages, sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands and wet heath during the active breeding season, from late December to early February.

Conduct surveys in the middle of the calling period, when males are most likely to respond. Surveys outside the known calling period are unproductive for call detection.

Use listening surveys followed by species specific call playback or the established response to a single observer's loud call. Males call from small chambers in moss, grass or sedges beside breeding pools.

Use an acoustic recorder where repeated or overnight detection is needed, and record the date, time, weather, observer, survey location and number of calling males detected.

Breeding and calling period: Late December to early February, with the best survey period in the middle of the calling cycle

Minimum effort: Two consecutive days at each suitable location

Equipment: Acoustic recorder where appropriate, and playback equipment or a suitably trained observer for call stimulation

  • Survey each suitable location for at least two consecutive days during the optimal season.
  • Repeat surveys over several periods before concluding that the species is absent, particularly where habitat is suitable and the population is small.
  • Treat the number of responding males as a detection measure, not as a complete count, because some males may not respond.

Survey methodology: 2. Visual encounter surveys

Search breeding habitat and adjacent non-breeding habitat for frogs sheltering beneath logs, leaf litter, rocks and dense ground cover.

Concentrate searches around bog pools, seepages, wet heath, wet tussock grasslands and nearby snow gum woodland or tall heath.

Use visual searches outside the breeding season only as a supplementary method, because adults and juveniles are cryptic and detection is inconsistent.

Adult size: Approximately 2.5 to 3 cm

Non-breeding habitat: Litter, logs and dense ground cover in snow gum woodland, heath forest and adjacent tall heath

  • Search slowly and minimise disturbance to peat, moss, litter, logs and ground cover.
  • Inspect suitable cover objects only where the search can be completed without damaging the habitat or exposing frogs to avoidable heat and desiccation.
  • Record the location and habitat feature for every detection, including whether the frog was in breeding or non-breeding habitat.

Survey methodology: 3. Egg and larval searches

Inspect shallow breeding pools and seepages for tadpoles during the larval period, which is listed as August to December in the Australian threatened frog survey guidelines.

Search terrestrial nests near breeding pools for eggs only where the search can be undertaken without damaging moss, tussocks, peat or other cover.

Expect larval detection to be difficult, and use egg or larval searches with call and visual surveys rather than as the only survey method.

Larval period in survey guidance: August to December

Egg clutch size: Approximately 16 to 38 eggs

Larval habitat: Shallow pools and seepages in sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands and wet heath

  • Record pool condition, water presence, evidence of early drying, tadpole observations and any disturbance to the pool edge.
  • Use clean equipment and follow amphibian hygiene procedures between sites to avoid transferring chytrid fungus.
  • Do not collect eggs, tadpoles or frogs unless the activity is authorised under the relevant permit and project management plan.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Use a qualified ecologist familiar with threatened alpine frogs to design the survey and interpret non-detections.
  • Survey all suitable breeding and adjacent non-breeding habitat within the impact area and any retained habitat that may receive relocated animals.
  • Use repeated surveys at the appropriate time of year before declaring absence, because the species has a very small and fragmented population and calling males may be missed.
  • Record survey dates, start and finish times, coordinates, observers, methods, weather, habitat condition, water condition, effort, detections and non-detections.
  • Submit verified records to the relevant NSW wildlife database and provide records to the project approval authority where required.
  • Report any suspected chytrid infection, injured frog or unexpected population concentration to the relevant wildlife authority and project ecologist.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat any suitable subalpine bog, seepage, wet heath or adjacent moist woodland in the known range as potential habitat until a qualified ecologist has assessed it. Avoid direct loss and changes to water movement because breeding pools are shallow and can dry early during drought.

Habitat elevation: Approximately 1300 to 1760 m above sea level

Known range: Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales

Adult movement: Adults can disperse more than 300 m into surrounding woodland

  • Avoid clearing or filling sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands, wet heath, seepages and shallow breeding pools.
  • Retain adjacent snow gum woodland, heath, litter, logs and dense ground cover used outside the breeding season.
  • Maintain natural drainage, pool hydroperiods and groundwater conditions, and prevent sediment, pollutants and altered runoff from entering breeding sites.
  • Keep works, vehicle access, spoil, stockpiles and worker facilities out of breeding and non-breeding habitat wherever practicable.
  • Retain connectivity between breeding pools and nearby woodland, heath and ground cover because adults move between breeding and non-breeding habitat and can disperse more than 300 m into surrounding woodland.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

  • Check whether the proposal may affect this EPBC Act listed Critically Endangered species and obtain advice on whether an EPBC referral or approval is required.
  • Check NSW threatened species, national park and fauna handling requirements before survey, capture, relocation or habitat disturbance.
  • Prepare a species specific fauna management plan covering habitat avoidance, survey timing, hygiene, machinery controls, fauna handling, stop-work triggers and reporting.
  • Stage works so that disturbance to breeding pools and calling males is avoided during the late December to early February breeding season wherever practicable.
  • Use the smallest practicable work area and establish access routes that avoid bogs, seepages, pools and wet ground.

Before habitat disturbance: Pre-clearance preparation

Adult appearance: Bright yellow longitudinal stripes alternating with black stripes, with black, yellow and white blotches underneath

Survey timing: Late December to early February for calling males

  • Complete the required targeted survey before disturbance, using at least two consecutive survey days at suitable locations during the active breeding season.
  • Have the ecologist mark breeding pools, seepages, sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands, wet heath and nearby moist ground cover on project plans and in the field.
  • Mark no-go areas and approved access routes clearly so machinery operators can identify them from the cab.
  • Install exclusion fencing where it can protect habitat from machinery, vehicles, workers, horses or other disturbance, and inspect the fencing before work starts and after heavy weather.
  • Brief all workers on the species' appearance, habitat, hygiene requirements, reporting chain and stop-work triggers.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls and supervision

Keep machinery and people out of marked habitat and maintain direct communication between the fauna spotter catcher, supervisor and operators. Stop work when an animal, breeding site or unexpected habitat feature is found.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, no-go markers, access tracks, drainage controls and sediment controls before work each day.
  • Use a fauna spotter catcher when clearing or entering approved habitat, with the spotter positioned where the operator can stop safely on instruction.
  • Move machinery slowly near wet ground, logs, litter, rocks and dense cover, and stop before disturbing any feature that may shelter a frog.
  • Keep fuels, chemicals, concrete washout, sediment and dirty water away from pools, seepages, bogs and drainage lines.
  • Apply amphibian hygiene procedures to boots, tools, vehicles, traps and handling equipment between sites.

During habitat disturbance: Handling and relocation

Handling risk: Chytrid fungus is a major threat, so handling and movement must follow approved amphibian hygiene and disease control procedures

Suitable retained habitat: Nearby moist ground cover, litter, logs, heath or woodland selected by the project ecologist, outside the disturbance footprint

  • Stop machinery immediately if a Southern Corroboree Frog, tadpole, egg mass or suspected breeding site is found.
  • Do not handle the animal unless the person is authorised, trained and acting under the approved fauna management plan or permit.
  • If relocation is authorised, place the frog in nearby suitable retained habitat selected by the project ecologist, avoiding unnecessary transport and keeping the animal cool, shaded and moist.
  • Do not move frogs, eggs or tadpoles between catchments or to an unapproved site.
  • Send injured animals promptly to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian, and record the outcome.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and stop-work triggers

  • Stop work if machinery enters a marked breeding pool, seepage, sphagnum bog, wet tussock grassland, wet heath or retained non-breeding habitat.
  • Stop work if clearing exposes a frog, egg nest, tadpole, occupied shelter or previously unmapped wetland feature.
  • Do not remove, burn, bury or relocate logs, rocks, litter, moss or dense ground cover in retained habitat unless the fauna management plan specifically allows it.
  • Prevent sediment, altered drainage, dewatering and contaminated runoff from reaching breeding pools or seepages.
  • Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher and project ecologist have assessed the find, implemented the approved response and cleared the area for work.

During habitat disturbance: Records and incident reporting

  • Record every detection, attempted detection, handling event, relocation, injury, death, chytrid concern, habitat breach and stop-work event.
  • For each record, note the date, time, coordinates, habitat, weather, method, animal life stage, photographs where permitted, action taken and the names of the people involved.
  • Notify the site supervisor and environmental officer immediately of any breach or injury, and notify the relevant wildlife authority where required by the approval or permit.
  • Update the project map daily to show retained habitat, cleared areas, detections, relocation sites and any changed exclusion zones.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Clearance is not complete when machinery leaves the site. Check the work area and retained habitat for missed frogs, damaged breeding sites, altered drainage and breaches of exclusion controls.

  • Complete a final fauna inspection of the cleared area, adjoining retained habitat, stockpile edges, access routes and drainage controls.
  • Repeat targeted searches of retained breeding and non-breeding habitat where clearing occurred beside logs, litter, dense cover, pools or seepages.
  • Check that no soil, slash, sediment, spoil or machinery damage has entered breeding pools, bogs or seepages.
  • Repair or replace exclusion fencing and no-go markers before demobilisation if they are still needed to protect retained habitat.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and compliance

Recommended monitoring season: Late December to early February for calling males

Monitoring effort: At least two consecutive days at suitable locations, with repeated survey periods where non-detection is important

  • Monitor retained breeding pools and adjacent habitat during the next suitable calling season, using the same locations and methods where possible so results can be compared.
  • Monitor water presence, early pool drying, sediment, drainage changes, ground-cover condition, feral animal damage, weeds and fire impacts.
  • Compare monitoring results with pre-disturbance records and approval conditions, and investigate any decline in calling males, occupied sites or breeding activity.
  • Maintain records for the period required by the approval, permit or fauna management plan, and submit reports and verified records to the relevant NSW wildlife database and authorities.

After habitat disturbance: Unexpected impacts and offsets

  • Report any unapproved habitat loss, frog mortality, chytrid concern, pool drying caused by the works or failure of a control measure to the project environmental officer immediately.
  • Implement the approved incident response and any remediation directed by the relevant authority.
  • Determine whether offsets, compensatory habitat protection or additional recovery actions are required under the project approval, EPBC decision or NSW requirements.
  • Do not treat an offset as a substitute for avoiding and minimising impacts on occupied or suitable habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore breeding habitat and water conditions

Rehabilitation should restore the wet breeding and moist non-breeding habitats that the species uses at different life stages. It must restore water conditions and ground cover, not only plant cover.

Breeding habitat: Pools and seepages in sphagnum bogs, wet tussock grasslands and wet heath

Recorded associated plants: Empodisma minus, Sphagnum cristatum, Baeckea gunniana and Epacris paludosa

  • Reinstate shallow pools and seepages only where the approved design matches local hydrology and does not divert water from existing breeding habitat.
  • Restore sphagnum bog, wet tussock grassland and wet heath structure around pools, with minimal soil and peat disturbance.
  • Maintain shallow, low-flow or ephemeral pool conditions and prevent premature drying caused by compacted soil, altered drainage or diverted runoff.
  • Use local provenance species and locally appropriate vegetation approved by the land manager, including peat moss, Sphagnum cristatum, spreading rope-rush, Empodisma minus, Baeckea gunniana and Epacris paludosa where these are suitable for the site.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore non-breeding cover and connectivity

Non-breeding habitat: Litter, logs and dense ground cover in snow gum woodland, heath forest and adjacent tall heath

Key feral animal threats: Feral pigs, horses and deer, with pigs also damaging breeding areas

  • Retain or reinstate logs, leaf litter, rocks and dense ground cover beside breeding areas for shelter and overwintering habitat.
  • Reconnect breeding pools with adjacent snow gum woodland, heath and tall moist heath without creating barriers or dry cleared strips.
  • Use locally sourced natural materials where approved, and place them to provide shaded, moist cover without burying pools or damaging peat.
  • Control weeds, feral pigs, feral horses and deer where they damage breeding sites, drainage patterns, vegetation structure or ground cover.

Rehabilitation actions: Fire, disease and rehabilitation monitoring

Primary disease concern: Chytridiomycosis caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis

Useful success indicators: Stable breeding pools, functioning moist ground cover, reduced weed and feral animal damage, and repeated detections during standardised surveys

  • Protect restored bogs, pools and adjacent cover from high intensity or frequent fire, and include the species' habitat in fire planning.
  • Use amphibian hygiene procedures during planting, pool construction, monitoring and maintenance to reduce chytrid transmission.
  • Monitor vegetation establishment, pool water retention through winter and spring, ground cover, weed presence, feral animal damage, fire impacts and evidence of frog use.
  • Use calling males, egg nests, tadpoles and adult or juvenile observations as success measures, with surveys conducted for at least two consecutive days during the late December to early February calling period.
  • Continue maintenance until the restored habitat is stable and meets the approved rehabilitation criteria, and report failures such as pool drying, erosion, weed invasion or loss of ground cover.

Sources