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Sphagnum Frog (Philoria sphagnicola)

The sphagnum frog is a small, ground-dwelling frog endemic to the eastern escarpment of north-east New South Wales. It breeds in saturated seepages, sphagnum beds and headwaters, so clearing, earthworks, altered drainage, fire, trampling and disease can affect both breeding sites and nearby forest floor habitat.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Vulnerable.

Breeding season

This frog breeds in saturated, concealed ground nests from spring to summer. Clearing risk is highest from late winter through summer, when males call and eggs, larvae or newly emerged metamorphs occupy wet forest floor habitat.

Reproductive mode: Egg laying. Tadpoles remain in the nest and complete development there before emerging as metamorphs.

Clutch size: Mean 58.3 eggs, with a recorded range of 30 to 91 eggs.

Incubation or gestation: A separate incubation period is not recorded. Embryos and tadpoles develop in the nest for about 1.5 to 3 months, depending on water temperature.

Size at hatching or birth: Hatchling length is reported as 3.1 to 3.25 mm.

Age at maturity: Estimated at 2 to 3 years.

Nest or egg sites: Small water-filled chambers or shallow burrows in mud, under sphagnum moss, rocks or leaf litter, in creek banks, and in saturated cracks or cavities beside waterfalls.

Breeding frequency: One clutch per year is reported.

Confirm timing locally before works, because rainfall and water temperature affect calling, breeding, larval development and metamorph emergence, particularly around seepages, headwaters and small creeks.

  • Calling: Males call mainly from late August to early December, with peak calling recorded from September to November. Calling has also been reported as possible in January to March and July, but these observations are less consistent with the main breeding period.
  • Egg laying: Eggs are laid from October to January, usually in foam nests inside concealed, saturated chambers. November is associated with larger breeding congresses after recent rainfall, while January represents the later part of the documented breeding period.
  • Eggs in nest: Embryos and tadpoles remain in the ground nest throughout development and emerge as metamorphs after about 1.5 to 3 months. Nests may therefore contain eggs or larvae from October into March, depending on laying date and water temperature.
  • Metamorphs: Metamorph emergence follows development in the nest and is expected mainly from December to March. Emergence may begin in late November or extend into April because development takes 1.5 to 3 months and varies with water temperature.
  • Active period: A month-specific activity period is not recorded. As a general guide, surface activity and short movements are most likely during wet, warm conditions from late winter through summer, including the documented diurnal calling period.
  • Winter inactivity: Winter hibernation, brumation and aestivation are not recorded for this species. During the cooler months, treat frogs as likely to remain concealed in moist soil burrows, moss, leaf litter, rock cracks and other saturated refuges rather than assuming they are absent.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is from September to January, when males call, breeding occurs and eggs or larvae occupy concealed nest chambers. Risk remains elevated in August and February because adults shelter in saturated ground and nests or metamorphs may still be present.

Identification

The sphagnum frog is a small, squat frog that is usually found on or under the wet forest floor rather than in open water. Detection is more likely from its call than from visual searches.

Adults have a robust body, a head shorter than wide, short hind limbs and mostly unwebbed fingers and toes. Dorsal colour varies from cream, yellow or orange to red or black, commonly with irregular dark spots or patches.

A dark stripe usually runs from the nostril through the eye towards the base of the arm. The lower back may have two oblique black patches over the ilia or an arrow-shaped black mark. The underside varies from white to orange and may have dark mottling.

Male size: 24 to 35 mm snout to vent length

Female size: 29 to 37 mm snout to vent length

Weight: Not reported in the supplied sources

Identification: Sex differences

Males have a well-developed dark nuptial pad on the first finger and call from mating chambers. Females have spatulae on the first and second fingers and are generally larger than males.

Identification: Calls and field signs

The advertisement call is a very low-pitched, single note described as a b-o-o-rk. It lasts about 0.4 seconds and is repeated at intervals of about 3 to 5 seconds. Males call from established nest sites, often before dawn or dusk, during the day, or in overcast conditions.

Breeding sites may contain shallow, concealed burrows or water-filled chambers in mud, under moss, rock or leaf litter, and sometimes in cracks in rock faces. Eggs occur in a jelly-like foam nest. Tadpole searches in open water are unsuitable because larvae remain in the nest until metamorphosis.

The sphagnum frog may be confused with other Philoria species where their ranges approach. The call is useful because this species has a longer call and more pulses per call than the other NSW and Queensland species examined in the comparative study. Confirm identification with an experienced amphibian ecologist where species ranges overlap.

Call: Low-pitched b-o-o-rk, about 0.4 seconds long, repeated every 3 to 5 seconds

Best detection period: Daytime, especially morning or late afternoon, during spring and early summer

  • Listen for calling males around headwaters, soaks and seepages rather than relying only on visual searches.
  • Use a minimum 200 metre transect per water body and repeat the survey on at least two separate days when assessing suitable habitat.
  • Do not disturb moss, leaf litter, rocks, burrows or nest chambers during monitoring or site checks.

Distribution: National range

The species is endemic to New South Wales. Its distribution follows the wet eastern escarpment and coastal ranges of north-east New South Wales, with isolated populations associated with suitable headwater and seepage habitat.

The sphagnum frog is known only from New South Wales. Records extend from the Comboyne Plateau and Hastings River catchment in the south to Chaelundi State Forest in the north.

The range includes the mid-north coastal ranges and the eastern escarpment of the Great Dividing Range. Named reserves and forests within or near the known range include Werrikimbe, Willi Willi, New England, Dorrigo and Bellinger River national parks, Mount Hyland and Mount Seaview nature reserves, and several state forests and timber reserves.

Distribution: Subpopulations and abundance

Populations are scattered and fragmented. Genetic structuring occurs between populations north and south of the Hastings River, although the taxonomic significance of this pattern requires further research.

The species naturally occurs at low abundance at breeding sites. Surveys after the 2019 to 2020 fires recorded only one to two calling males at known sites in many areas, and no calling males at many lower-altitude sites.

Extent of occurrence: 13,866 km²

Area of occupancy: 820 km², calculated using 2 km by 2 km grid cells

Calling males at one site: Up to 20 recorded historically; average 3 to 4 and maximum 7 in surveys during 2017 and 2018

Post-fire observation: The species was not detected at almost half of known sites surveyed after the 2019 to 2020 fires

Population trend: The total population is unknown, but continuing decline is inferred in area of occupancy, habitat quality, locations or subpopulations, and mature individuals

Habitat: Forest and wetland setting

The sphagnum frog is a habitat specialist of wet forest floors where groundwater remains close to the surface. It is associated with small headwaters, permanent seepages and saturated microhabitats within forest.

The species occurs mainly in wet sclerophyll forest and subtropical rainforest. It is usually associated with sphagnum moss beds or seepages on steep slopes, in or near the headwaters of permanent streams.

Suitable habitat may occur as small wet patches within otherwise forested areas. Sphagnum beds can hold substantial water and help regulate surface flow, so drainage changes or removal of surrounding forest can alter the moisture conditions on which the frog depends.

  • Retain headwaters, seepages, wet gullies and saturated forest floor habitat.
  • Assess wet patches upslope and downslope of proposed clearing, not only the visible stream channel.
  • Maintain hydrological connections along drainage lines and avoid concentrating runoff into breeding sites.

Habitat: Elevation and climate

Most records are from elevations above 600 m, although the species can occur to about 250 m in wet coastal foothills. The habitat is associated with high-rainfall forest and cool, persistently moist conditions.

Suitable conditions depend on saturated soil, seepage and moisture near the ground surface. Drought, canopy loss, increased evaporation and altered rainfall can reduce habitat suitability.

Typical elevation: Above 600 m

Lower elevation limit reported: About 250 m in wet coastal foothills

Key moisture feature: Groundwater continually present and close to the surface in headwaters, soaks and seepages

Foraging habitat: Diet and feeding sites

The diet of the sphagnum frog has not been documented directly. The species is expected to forage on the moist forest floor and in surface vegetation around its sheltering habitat.

The diet is unknown. Other Philoria species eat a range of small invertebrates, including ants, wasps, spiders, flies and beetles.

Outside the breeding period, the frog is likely to forage among leaf litter, surface vegetation, logs, rocks and root masses on the forest floor. These features should be treated as potential feeding habitat even where no frogs are seen.

Known diet: Not known for this species

Likely prey: Small invertebrates such as ants, wasps, spiders, flies and beetles, based on other Philoria species

Foraging range: Not measured for this species; lifetime movement is likely to be no more than 1 km

  • Retain moist leaf litter, logs, rocks, root masses and low surface vegetation around seepages and headwaters.
  • Avoid removing or stockpiling wet forest floor material near breeding sites.
  • Prevent sediment, chemical runoff and drying of the surface layer in retained habitat.

Breeding habitat: Breeding sites

Breeding occurs in concealed, saturated chambers on the forest floor near headwaters, seepages and small creeks. The nest remains wet throughout development and is not equivalent to a conventional open-water frog breeding pool.

Pairs mate in shallow burrows excavated by the male in mud, or beneath moss, rock or leaf litter. Some populations also use cracks and cavities in rock faces where conditions remain saturated.

The female lays eggs in a jelly-like foam nest inside a small water-filled chamber. Embryos and tadpoles remain in the nest with at least one parent and are nourished by egg yolk until they emerge as metamorphs.

Breeding season: Spring and summer, usually October to December in northern localities and October to January in the mid-north coastal ranges

Clutch size: Mean 58.3 eggs, range 30 to 91

Egg development: Embryos have two pairs of very small external gills and remain in the nest

Larval period: About 1.5 to 3 months, depending on water temperature

Age at first reproduction: Estimated at 2 to 3 years

Lifespan: Estimated from a related species at 9.5 years for males and 11.5 years for females

  • Protect saturated nest chambers, seepages, moss beds, loose moist soil, leaf litter, rocks and cavities beside waterfalls.
  • Do not excavate, turn over or compact the ground around calling males or suspected nest sites.
  • Keep construction access, spoil, sediment, concrete washout and fuels away from headwater breeding habitat.

Sheltering habitat: Refuges

The species uses concealed ground-level refuges in wet forest. It is fossorial and may be difficult to detect when it is not calling.

Breeding and shelter sites include shallow burrows in moist soil, spaces beneath sphagnum moss, rocks and leaf litter, cracks in rock faces, and cavities beside waterfalls. Outside breeding, frogs are likely to shelter or forage beneath logs, rocks, root masses and surface vegetation.

The species may move short distances upslope into surrounding forest after breeding. Related Philoria studies indicate movements of less than 85 m for males and less than 40 m for females after breeding, but equivalent measurements have not been made for this species.

Known refuge types: Moist soil burrows, moss, leaf litter, spaces under rocks and logs, root masses, rock cracks and waterfall cavities

Lifetime movement: Likely no more than 1 km

Post-breeding movement: Related Philoria moved less than 85 m for males and less than 40 m for females

  • Retain connected wet ground cover around seepages and headwaters.
  • Keep machinery, vehicles and foot traffic out of saturated forest floor habitat wherever practicable.
  • Use boardwalks or defined access routes where access near sensitive breeding sites cannot be avoided.
  • Apply amphibian hygiene procedures to equipment, footwear and handling gear to reduce disease transmission.

Threats: Clearing, fragmentation and hydrology

The main project risks are loss or fragmentation of wet forest, damage to headwater hydrology, fire, trampling, introduced predators and disease. Because dispersal is poor, damage to a small breeding patch can isolate a population from nearby habitat.

Past agricultural clearing, forestry and timber harvesting have reduced habitat. Ongoing disturbance can degrade and fragment wet forest, alter hydrological processes and reduce the moisture of seepages and nest chambers.

Roads, tracks, drainage works, culverts, utility corridors and construction pads can divert or concentrate water, increase sediment delivery, dry the forest floor or sever movement routes along headwaters.

  • Map seepages, sphagnum beds, headwaters, saturated gullies and likely nest habitat before finalising the work footprint.
  • Avoid clearing or filling wet forest floor habitat and retain connected forest around breeding sites.
  • Control sediment and runoff so that headwater seepages and nest chambers are not buried or scoured.
  • Keep roads, tracks and recreational access away from sensitive breeding sites where practicable.

Threats: Fire and climate

Severe fire can kill adults and juveniles and can cause longer-term changes to canopy cover, soil structure, groundwater seepage, temperature and evaporation. Fire can also increase sedimentation of headwater seepages and encourage weed invasion.

Up to 64 percent of the known distribution was affected by the 2019 to 2020 fires, with about 21 percent very severely burnt. Post-fire surveys found reduced calling activity and no detection at almost half of known sites.

Distribution affected by 2019 to 2020 fires: Up to 64 percent

Distribution very severely burnt: About 21 percent

  • Protect unburnt refuge habitat within and beside burnt areas from further fire where possible.
  • Consider breeding habitat and saturated headwaters when planning hazard reduction or prescribed burning.
  • Monitor seepage flow, canopy loss, sediment and calling activity after fire or major earthworks.

Threats: Predators, trampling and weeds

Feral pigs can prey on adults and nestlings and damage streams, seepages and nest sites through wallowing and uprooting. Feral cats and foxes may prey on adults. Historically, cattle trampling damaged nest sites.

Post-fire weeds may alter ground structure, hydrology, moisture availability and future fire risk. Herbicides can harm frogs and tadpoles, particularly formulations containing glyphosate and surfactants.

  • Exclude stock from stream banks, seepages and breeding sites where access cannot be avoided.
  • Manage feral pigs and other introduced predators around priority sites.
  • Control weeds using methods that do not contaminate seepages or breeding chambers.
  • Do not release wash water, herbicide residues or other chemicals into wet forest or headwater habitat.

Threats: Disease and field disturbance

The species may be susceptible to amphibian chytrid fungus, although individuals have not been tested and a population decline caused by chytrid has not been demonstrated. The pathogen is water-borne and has affected other upland stream-associated frogs.

Searching for calling males can damage breeding habitat if moss, leaf litter, rocks or soil are disturbed. Handling and movement between sites can also spread disease.

  • Use approved amphibian hygiene procedures between sites and before entering known or potential frog habitat.
  • Prefer call surveys and remote listening over turning cover or entering nest chambers.
  • Do not handle frogs unless required by an approved survey or management protocol.

Survey methodology: 1. Call surveys

Philoria sphagnicola is a small, fossorial frog that is difficult to detect by searching for animals. Surveys should target calling males at wet headwaters, seepages and soaks, especially where sphagnum, moss or saturated leaf litter is present.

Conduct diurnal call surveys around the headwaters of small streams and soaks where groundwater is continually present and close to the surface.

Use at least one 200 metre transect per water body and repeat the transect on at least two separate days.

Listen for the species call, a low pitched ‘b-o-o-rk’ lasting about 0.4 seconds and repeated at intervals of about 3 to 5 seconds.

Call surveys are the preferred method because tadpole surveys are unsuitable for Philoria and adults may remain concealed in burrows, moss, leaf litter, rock cavities or under logs.

Preferred survey period: September to December, with breeding generally occurring from spring to summer. In northern localities breeding is usually October to December, and in the mid-north coastal ranges it is usually October to January.

Best daily periods: Morning or late afternoon, including periods just before dusk. Males may call during the day and in overcast conditions.

Transect effort: At least one 200 metre transect per water body, repeated on at least two separate days.

Survey methodology: 2. Habitat inspection

Inspect suitable seepages, small stream headwaters, saturated slopes and sphagnum or moss beds during the call survey.

Check concealed breeding microhabitats without disturbing them, including loose moist soil, moss, leaf litter, cracks and cavities beside or behind waterfalls, and shallow burrows under moss, rocks or leaf litter.

Record the condition and connectivity of seepages, breeding chambers, riparian vegetation, sphagnum beds and surrounding wet forest.

Typical habitat: Wet sclerophyll forest or subtropical rainforest, usually above 600 metres elevation, but sometimes down to about 250 metres in wet coastal foothills.

Breeding setting: Steep slopes and headwaters of permanent streams, usually associated with sphagnum moss beds or seepages.

Movement: Likely movement is no more than 1 kilometre over the lifetime of an individual, so nearby habitat retention and connectivity are important.

Survey methodology: 3. Survey conditions and detection limits

Plan surveys when seepages and breeding habitat remain wet and when calling activity is expected, rather than relying on a single visit in unsuitable dry conditions.

Do not enter or disturb breeding chambers, nests or sensitive seepage habitat to improve detection.

Do not use tadpole searches as a substitute for call surveys for this species.

Treat a failure to detect calling males as inconclusive where habitat is suitable, because non-calling frogs are difficult to detect and recent surveys found low calling numbers or no calling males at many sites.

Calling numbers reported: Up to 20 calling males have been recorded at one site, but surveys in 2017 and 2018 averaged three to four calling males and reached a maximum of seven.

Post-fire detection: After the 2019 to 2020 fires, surveys found one to two calling males at known breeding sites and no calling males at many lower altitude sites.

Survey methodology: Minimum effort and reporting

  • Survey every suitable water body, seepage and headwater within the proposed disturbance area and within habitat that may be indirectly affected.
  • Use at least one 200 metre call transect per water body on at least two separate days during the September to December survey period.
  • Record survey date, start and finish time, weather, recent rainfall, transect length, water body location, habitat condition, call detections, number of calling males and any evidence of nests or breeding chambers.
  • Map all records and habitat features using accurate coordinates, and distinguish confirmed records from suitable habitat where the frog was not detected.
  • Submit confirmed records, survey results and negative results to the relevant NSW wildlife database or other relevant state wildlife database, as required by the approval or project data standard.
  • Retain photographs, field sheets, audio files and spatial data with the project environmental records.

Before habitat disturbance: Avoid and minimise

Treat seepages, sphagnum beds, headwaters and adjoining wet forest as potential breeding and shelter habitat. Avoid direct disturbance wherever practicable because the species has low dispersal ability and fragmented habitat can limit recolonisation.

  • Redesign the work footprint to retain sphagnum beds, seepages, permanent headwaters, saturated soils, breeding chambers and the surrounding wet forest.
  • Retain connected wet forest along drainage lines and headwaters because the species is likely to move only short distances and may move less than 1 kilometre during its lifetime.
  • Prevent changes to groundwater, seepage flow, soil saturation, stream headwaters and canopy cover that could dry or heat breeding habitat.
  • Keep roads, tracks, compounds, stockpiles and recreational access away from seepages, breeding sites, stream banks and other sensitive habitat.
  • Avoid clearing or burning occupied or suitable habitat during the September to December calling period wherever the project programme allows.

Before habitat disturbance: Approvals and work planning

National status: Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.

NSW status in the assessment document: Vulnerable under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

  • Confirm whether the proposed action may significantly affect this EPBC Act Vulnerable species and obtain environmental advice on whether an EPBC Act referral is required.
  • Check NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act requirements, threatened species licences, local approval conditions and any relevant park, reserve or forestry approvals before works begin.
  • Prepare a species specific fauna management plan that identifies breeding habitat, survey results, exclusion zones, stop-work triggers, fauna handling arrangements, hygiene controls and reporting requirements.
  • Stage clearing so that retained wet habitat remains connected and available while each work area is surveyed and cleared.
  • Schedule monitoring and any required pre-clearance surveys during the breeding and calling period, particularly from late August to early December where practicable.

Before habitat disturbance: Site preparation

  • Complete the required call surveys and a pre-clearance inspection before machinery enters the work area.
  • Clearly mark seepages, sphagnum and moss beds, headwaters, saturated ground, breeding chambers, nest areas and retained wet forest on plans and on the ground.
  • Install exclusion fencing around retained habitat and no-go areas where it can be maintained without altering water flow or damaging wet ground.
  • Brief machinery operators and fauna spotters on the species call, habitat indicators, no-go areas, hygiene requirements and stop-work procedures.
  • Clean and disinfect footwear, equipment and vehicles that enter or leave amphibian habitat in accordance with the project hygiene protocol to reduce chytrid transmission risk.

During habitat disturbance: Daily controls

Use a fauna spotter catcher to control the sequence of work around wet habitat and to stop machinery before seepages, breeding chambers or frogs are damaged. The spotter catcher must work within the project approval and their authorisation.

  • Inspect exclusion fencing, sediment controls, water diversions and no-go markers before work starts each day.
  • Keep machinery, spoil, fuels, concrete washout and other materials out of seepages, headwaters, saturated soils and retained sphagnum habitat.
  • Prevent sediment, runoff, fire retardant, herbicide and other contaminants from entering breeding chambers, soaks and headwater streams.
  • Use low impact access routes and minimise vibration, excavation and changes to drainage near retained habitat.
  • Stop work and reassess if water flow, groundwater emergence, soil saturation, canopy cover or breeding habitat is being altered unexpectedly.

During habitat disturbance: Spotter catcher and machinery procedure

  • The fauna spotter catcher must inspect each active work area immediately before clearing and remain able to see the vegetation, ground surface and wet habitat being disturbed.
  • Direct machinery in short stages, working from inspected areas towards the cleared edge rather than allowing uncontrolled clearing across seepages or stream headwaters.
  • Keep the machine operator and spotter catcher in continuous communication and stop the machine whenever the spotter catcher identifies a frog, nest, burrow, breeding chamber or uninspected habitat.
  • Do not search under rocks, logs, moss or leaf litter solely to find frogs, because these features can be breeding or shelter sites and disturbance can cause harm.
  • Use only appropriately authorised personnel to capture or handle the frog, and follow the conditions of the relevant wildlife licence and project approval.

During habitat disturbance: Animal encounters and stop-work triggers

  • Stop work immediately if a Philoria sphagnicola is found within the disturbance area or if a breeding chamber, nest, calling male or occupied seepage is identified.
  • Keep people, machinery and vehicles away from the animal and do not chase, expose or repeatedly handle it.
  • If handling is authorised and necessary, place the frog in a clean, secure, ventilated container and relocate it only to nearby retained, suitable wet habitat identified in the fauna management plan.
  • Do not move the frog across roads, cleared land, drainage barriers or unsuitable dry habitat.
  • Send injured frogs promptly to an appropriately experienced veterinarian or wildlife carer, and record the transfer and outcome.
  • Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher and environmental officer have assessed the site, documented the decision and confirmed that the stop-work trigger has been cleared.

During habitat disturbance: Habitat features and records

  • Protect logs, rocks, root masses, moss, leaf litter, saturated soil, seepages and cavities beside or behind waterfalls unless their removal is approved and supervised under the fauna management plan.
  • Do not use tadpole searches, draining or excavation of breeding chambers as a fauna management measure.
  • Record every encounter, capture, relocation, injury, mortality, stop-work event and habitat feature affected by the works.
  • Record the animal's location, time, habitat, condition, handling time, release location, personnel, approvals and photographs where this can be done without additional disturbance.
  • Report any mortality, disease concern, chytrid suspicion, unexpected habitat loss or non-compliance to the project environmental officer and the relevant regulator as required.

After habitat disturbance: Post-clearance checks

Post-work checks should confirm that retained wet habitat has not dried, filled with sediment or become isolated. Monitoring is most informative during the breeding season, when males call from established nest sites.

  • Inspect the cleared edge, access routes and retained habitat for frogs, injured animals, damaged nests, disturbed breeding chambers, sediment deposition and altered seepage flow.
  • Check that exclusion fencing and no-go markers remain in place and that machinery, spoil, debris and temporary drainage controls have been removed from retained habitat.
  • Repair erosion, sediment controls and drainage problems before they affect headwaters, soaks, sphagnum beds or saturated forest floor.
  • Undertake a final fauna inspection of each work area before demobilisation, including areas beneath or beside logs, rocks and other disturbed ground features.

After habitat disturbance: Monitoring and reporting

Suggested monitoring period: Late August to early December, with particular attention to the spring and summer calling season.

Monitoring method: Diurnal call surveys using 200 metre transects around suitable water bodies, repeated on separate days.

  • Monitor selected retained subpopulations from late August to early December, when males are known to call.
  • Use repeat call surveys at known sites and include sites across the species' altitudinal and latitudinal range where required by the management plan.
  • Compare the number of calling males, occupied sites, habitat condition, seepage flow and evidence of recruitment with the pre-work baseline.
  • Do not disturb frogs or breeding sites during monitoring.
  • Report survey methods, effort, weather, detections, non-detections, habitat changes, incidents and corrective actions to the approval holder and relevant regulator.

After habitat disturbance: Ongoing controls and offsets

  • Maintain erosion, sediment, water quality, weed, predator and access controls until retained habitat is stable and rehabilitation measures have met their performance criteria.
  • Prevent future controlled burns, maintenance works and access activities from entering retained sphagnum frog habitat without a site assessment and approval review.
  • Where residual impacts cannot be avoided or mitigated, obtain advice on any required biodiversity offsets or other compensatory measures under the EPBC Act, NSW legislation and project approval.
  • Use the species record and monitoring results to update the project risk assessment and future work method statements.

Rehabilitation actions: Restore wet habitat and connectivity

Rehabilitation should restore wet headwater habitat and the forest floor conditions used for breeding, shelter and movement. The first priority is to restore water availability and prevent further degradation of retained habitat.

Habitat setting to restore: Wet sclerophyll forest or subtropical rainforest associated with sphagnum moss beds, seepages and permanent stream headwaters.

Typical elevation: Usually above 600 metres, with some records in wet coastal foothills to about 250 metres.

  • Reinstate natural drainage and seepage patterns without concentrating runoff into breeding chambers or causing erosion.
  • Restore wet sclerophyll forest or subtropical rainforest structure around headwaters, seepages and sphagnum beds using locally appropriate native species identified by a qualified ecologist.
  • Reconnect isolated wet forest patches along drainage lines and stream headwaters where the project has removed vegetation or created a barrier.
  • Replace compacted or contaminated soil with suitable clean material only where needed to restore saturated habitat, and avoid covering existing moss, sphagnum or breeding chambers.
  • Do not create artificial wetlands as a substitute for natural seepages unless their hydrology, water quality and long-term suitability have been assessed for this species.

Rehabilitation actions: Reinstate shelter and breeding features

Breeding chamber: A concealed, shallow, water-filled chamber in mud, under moss, rock or leaf litter, or sometimes in a rock face.

Clutch size: Mean 58.3 eggs, with a reported range of 30 to 91.

Larval period: Tadpoles remain in the nest until metamorphosis, usually for one and a half to three months depending on water temperature.

  • Retain or reinstate clean leaf litter, moss, logs, rocks and root masses on the forest floor around seepages and headwaters.
  • Protect shallow burrow sites, cracks and cavities beside or behind waterfalls and do not fill or expose them during rehabilitation.
  • Do not install nest boxes as a substitute for the species' ground nests, because the species breeds in shallow ground chambers, under moss, rocks or leaf litter, and sometimes in rock cracks.
  • Use clean equipment and amphibian hygiene procedures when placing materials in or near occupied habitat.

Rehabilitation actions: Control weeds, predators and fire risk

  • Control post-fire and construction weeds that alter ground structure, soil moisture, subterranean hydrology or future fire behaviour.
  • Use herbicides only under a method that protects frogs, eggs and tadpoles, because some formulations containing glyphosate and surfactants can be toxic to amphibians.
  • Control feral pigs where they wallow, uproot vegetation or damage riparian breeding habitat and nest sites.
  • Control introduced predators and prevent domestic stock from trampling stream banks, seepages and breeding habitat.
  • Protect restored and retained habitat from high intensity fire, and plan any prescribed burning to avoid occupied sphagnum frog habitat and maintain wet refuges.

Rehabilitation actions: Success measures and adaptive management

  • Set site-specific targets for restored seepage flow, water quality, ground moisture, native forest cover, sphagnum or moss recovery, weed cover and absence of pig damage.
  • Monitor restored and retained sites during the calling season from late August to early December using repeat diurnal call surveys.
  • Measure the number of calling males and occupied breeding sites against the pre-disturbance baseline, while recognising that non-detection does not prove local extinction.
  • Investigate declining call detections, drying seepages, sedimentation, weed spread, predator activity or fire damage and apply corrective management.
  • Submit rehabilitation and monitoring results, including frog records and negative results, to the relevant state wildlife database and the project regulator where required.

Sources