Walpole Frog (Anstisia lutea)

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Near threatened. Priority 4 (rare, near threatened) on the Western Australian priority fauna list. Priority species are not listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 but should be considered in assessments.

Breeding season

The Walpole Frog calls and breeds in south-west Western Australia from July to December, with activity peaking in September and October. Timing may vary with local rainfall, soil moisture and conditions in creeklines, swamps and seepages.

Breeding mode: Direct development. Eggs develop in a jelly mass in moist soil, mud tunnels or small hollows. Young metamorphose without entering water.

Clutch size: Usually 25 to 30 eggs.

Incubation period: Not recorded. Metamorphosis is completed after approximately 50 days.

Young: Young develop within the egg jelly, live on yolk and do not feed before metamorphosis.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding site: Moist soil, clay or mud under thick vegetation, including peaty creekline soils and leaf litter.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Breeding activity can shift between years and sites with rainfall and soil moisture, so wet habitat should be checked before works even outside the peak September to October period.

• Calling and breeding: Males call from July to December, with calling peaking in September and October.
• Eggs and terrestrial young: Eggs and developing young are expected in moist terrestrial breeding sites during the calling and breeding period, but the separate laying dates are not recorded.
• Adult presence and calling activity: Targeted nocturnal searches detected the species by its distinctive call in swampy plains, riparian habitat and adjoining woodland.
• Highest clearing risk: Avoid clearing moist creekline, swamp, seepage and peaty leaf litter habitat from July to December, when calling adults, eggs and developing young may be present.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Walpole Frog is very small and can be difficult to find by day. Night searches should rely on its distinctive call, careful inspection of moist ground and leaf litter, and confirmation of any visual record.

Adults grow to a maximum length of about 2.3 cm. They are no bigger than a thumbnail.

The back is smooth and grey-brown, with darker stripes on the flanks. The belly is yellowish with irregular darker spotting. Pink spots may occur around the groin and thighs.

Males have a distinctive black chin.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Males give an incessant ‘tk, tk, tk’ call while attracting females. Calling frogs may be concealed in dense vegetation, wet leaf litter or mud tunnels.

The Roseate Frog can occur in similar south-west forest habitats and has a very similar call. It usually has a pink or red belly rather than the yellow belly of the Walpole Frog. Call records should be confirmed where the two species could overlap.

• Listen during the July to December calling period, with greatest attention from September to October.
• Record the location, habitat, number of calling individuals where this can be estimated, and any photographs or call recordings.

Identification: Field signs

Males make small tunnels in mud under thick vegetation. These tunnels may contain the jelly mass used for breeding.

There are no distinctive droppings, whitewash, stains or odours that can be used reliably to identify this species. A lack of visible frogs does not mean that suitable habitat is unoccupied.

• Check moist mud, clay, peaty soil and leaf litter beside creeklines and swamp margins.
• Avoid damaging suspected tunnels or turning over habitat unnecessarily.
• Use call recognition alongside visual confirmation where practical.

Distribution: Australian range

The Walpole Frog has a very small Australian range in south-west Western Australia. Records are concentrated around Walpole and Nornalup, with the known range extending north towards Mount Franklin.

The species is known only from Western Australia. It is associated with sites within roughly 12 km of Walpole, and has also been recorded in the wider Walpole and Nornalup region and north to Mount Franklin.

It is endemic to a small area of south-west Western Australia. No overseas range is recognised.

• Treat suitable habitat near Walpole, Nornalup and Mount Franklin as potentially occupied.
• Do not use local abundance to dismiss a record. The species can be common within its narrow range, but its overall distribution is restricted.

Distribution: Site-scale distribution

Records have come from broad swampy plains, riparian zones, seepages and swamp habitat bordering low woodland or woodland. Suitable habitat may continue beyond a project boundary, particularly along connected creeklines and wetland margins.

The species may occur outside the area covered by a previous survey. Confirm the extent of suitable habitat before clearing, access tracks, drainage works or construction.

• Map creeklines, swampy plains, peat swamps, seepages and wet forest edges across the work area.
• Extend the assessment beyond the clearing footprint where works could alter drainage or groundwater conditions.

Habitat: Vegetation and landforms

Look for the Walpole Frog in wet, densely vegetated places that retain moisture through summer. Creek systems with organic-rich or peaty soils are particularly relevant.

Habitat includes dense swampy vegetation, wet leaf litter on peaty sand, creek margins, stream edges and forest margins. The species has also been recorded in tall open forest and broad swampy plains.

Seasonally inundated peat swamps may contain low forest, closed heath, scattered emergent trees and sedgelike or grasslike ground cover. Seasonally inundated seepages in tall open forest can also provide suitable habitat.

• Peaty swamps and broad swampy plains
• Riparian vegetation and creekline forest
• Wet forest edges and low woodland margins
• Seasonally inundated seepages
• Dense ground cover and wet leaf litter on organic soils

Habitat: Habitat condition

The best habitat remains damp and shaded, has dense ground vegetation and leaf litter, and is not readily dried out during summer. Connectivity between creeklines, swamp margins and seepages should be retained where possible.

Small wet patches can be relevant because the species does not require open water for tadpole development.

• Check whether proposed works could remove shade, compact peat or soil, interrupt surface flows, or lower local soil moisture.
• Include adjacent wet vegetation and drainage lines in the habitat assessment, not just areas with standing water.

Foraging habitat: Places to check

The Walpole Frog’s diet and detailed foraging behaviour are not well documented. For site planning, treat the damp leaf litter, ground cover and moist soil around creek and swamp habitats as feeding habitat as well as shelter habitat.

Search wet leaf litter, dense ground vegetation, peaty sand, mud margins and the lower layers of vegetation around creeklines and swampy plains.

These areas can be disturbed by machinery, temporary access, soil storage, drainage changes and removal of understorey.

• Retain moist leaf litter and low vegetation where practicable.
• Keep spoil, fuels and construction materials out of wet ground and drainage lines.
• Avoid unnecessary vehicle movement through swamp margins and seepages.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

No separate diet-based survey method is available for this species. Nocturnal searches during the calling period are the most useful field approach, supported by habitat assessment and careful searches of moist ground.

Surveys should be undertaken by suitably experienced personnel who can distinguish the call from similar small frogs, particularly the Roseate Frog.

• Use quiet nocturnal listening and active searches with head torches.
• Record calling locations and the habitat around each record.
• Use multiple visits when access, weather or calling conditions are poor.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

The Walpole Frog breeds on land rather than in open water. This makes moist soil, mud tunnels and wet leaf litter potential breeding places during clearing and construction.

Males make tunnels in mud under thick vegetation. Females deposit about 25 to 30 eggs in a jelly mass in these tunnels.

Eggs hatch and develop within the jelly. Young use yolk stored in the gut, do not feed, and metamorphose into frogs without entering water.

• Inspect moist mud and clay under dense vegetation beside creeklines and swamp margins.
• Treat intact wet ground and leaf litter as potential breeding habitat even when there is no pool or flowing water.
• Do not disturb suspected egg masses or mud tunnels during searches.

Breeding habitat: Timing and work planning

Males call from July to December, with calling peaking from September to October. Development from egg to metamorphosis takes approximately 50 days.

Where works cannot avoid suitable habitat, plan surveys and controls around the calling period and retain damp breeding areas for as long as practicable.

• Complete targeted nocturnal surveys before clearing or ground disturbance.
• Avoid changing drainage, soil moisture or vegetation cover around known or suspected breeding places.
• Stop and seek advice if egg masses, calling males or small frogs are found during works.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter features

Specific daytime shelter sites are not well documented, but the species is associated with damp, protected ground. Retaining cover and soil moisture is the practical focus for site management.

Potential shelter includes wet leaf litter, dense swamp vegetation, peaty soil, moist mud, creekline vegetation and seepage margins.

Males may shelter in mud tunnels beneath thick vegetation. These structures can be damaged by foot traffic, machinery, grading and removal of the understorey.

• Keep dense ground cover and leaf litter intact where possible.
• Use designated access routes around wetland and creekline habitat.
• Prevent sediment, concrete washout, hydrocarbons and other pollutants from entering wet areas.

Sheltering habitat: Moisture and connectivity

The species is associated with soils that remain moist and do not readily dry out over summer. Maintain natural drainage patterns and avoid unnecessary water-table drawdown or diversion of shallow flows.

Retain links between creek systems, swampy plains, seepages and forest edges so frogs can continue to use suitable cover across the site.

• Mark wet habitat and exclusion areas before mobilisation.
• Keep stockpiles, trenches and temporary compounds away from wet ground.
• Rehabilitate disturbed areas with local vegetation and stable drainage after works.

Threats: Clearing and physical disturbance

Species-specific threats are not well documented, but the Walpole Frog’s narrow range and dependence on moist ground make it sensitive to habitat loss and hydrological change. As a Western Australian Priority 4 EVNT species, it warrants targeted survey and precautionary management at suitable sites.

Clearing creekline vegetation, swamp vegetation, peatland, wet leaf litter or dense ground cover can remove shelter and breeding places.

Earthworks, compaction, trenching and vehicle access can damage mud tunnels and egg masses, even where no open water is present.

• Avoid clearing suitable habitat where practicable.
• Fence or clearly mark retained habitat before works begin.
• Keep machinery and laydown areas out of wet ground, creek margins and swamp edges.

Threats: Hydrological change

Drainage diversion, excessive dewatering, water-table drawdown, altered surface flow and increased runoff may dry or degrade breeding and sheltering habitat.

Maintain natural wetting patterns and prevent sediment or contaminated water from entering creek systems, seepages and peat swamps.

• Assess indirect effects beyond the immediate clearing footprint.
• Use sediment and erosion controls around all wet habitat.
• Monitor wetland and creekline condition where works could alter drainage or groundwater.

Threats: Fire, weeds and disease

Changes to dense understorey and leaf litter from inappropriate fire, weed invasion or repeated disturbance can reduce cover and soil moisture. Hygiene failures can also spread amphibian disease between sites.

Use clean equipment between wetland and creekline areas, and follow project hygiene procedures for amphibian disease prevention.

• Retain native ground cover and avoid unnecessary vegetation removal.
• Control weeds without allowing herbicide or sediment to enter wet habitat.
• Do not move frogs, eggs, soil or wet vegetation between sites without appropriate advice.

Threats: Survey and response during works

Because the species is small and can remain concealed, absence during a single daytime inspection is not a reliable clearance result. Use targeted nocturnal call surveys during the July to December calling period, with emphasis on September to October.

If a Walpole Frog, calling location or egg mass is found, stop activity in the immediate area, protect the habitat and contact the project ecologist or fauna spotter catcher for site-specific advice.

• Record all observations with a GPS location, photograph or call recording where possible.
• Review the work method if a record is close to the clearing footprint.
• Do not capture or relocate individuals unless authorised and directed by an appropriately qualified person.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Walpole Frog is a small, cryptic frog of wet creeklines, swampy plains, peaty sand and dense leaf litter in south western Western Australia. It is most readily detected by its distinctive repeated call during the July to December calling period, with activity peaking from September to October.

Map creeklines, seepages, peaty soils, seasonally inundated swamps, wet leaf litter and dense swamp vegetation before entering the site.

Treat habitat near Walpole and Nornalup, and north towards Mount Franklin, as potentially suitable until assessed by a qualified ecologist.

Check the current Western Australian conservation listing, DBCA records, local planning controls and any project approval conditions. The species is listed as Priority 4 in Western Australia and should be managed as an EVNT species.

• Review recent rainfall, hydrology, fire history, clearing plans and proposed changes to surface water or groundwater.
• Use local species records to identify likely survey points, but do not treat the absence of a database record as evidence of absence.

Survey methodology: 2. Nocturnal call and visual searches

Survey after dark during the July to December calling period, with priority given to September and October. Choose still, suitable nights when frogs are likely to call and when ground and leaf litter remain moist.

Listen quietly along creek margins, swamp edges, seepages, forest edges and dense vegetation. The male call is an incessant ‘tick, tick, tick’ or ‘tk, tk, tk’. Confirm calls carefully because the Roseate Frog can have a similar call.

Use head torches to search for eye shine, movement and frogs in wet leaf litter, mud tunnels and dense vegetation. Avoid trampling moist soil, mud tunnels and potential breeding places.

• Survey each representative habitat type and proposed disturbance area.
• Use repeated visits where conditions are unsuitable, calling activity is low, or identification is uncertain.
• As a practical reference, one recent survey used about 12.3 person hours of nocturnal searching across systematic and additional sites. Set effort according to habitat extent, project risk and approval requirements rather than applying this figure automatically.

Survey methodology: 3. Trapping and supplementary methods

Do not rely on terrestrial trapping alone. The Walpole Frog may be detected by call without entering traps, and its direct development means that adults and young can remain in moist terrestrial habitat.

Use trapping only where approved, justified and supervised by suitably experienced personnel. Follow current animal welfare requirements and inspect traps at the required frequency.

Consider automated acoustic recording or targeted call playback only where an experienced herpetologist confirms that the method is suitable and will not disturb breeding activity.

• Do not use environmental DNA as a substitute for an approved field survey unless the method has been validated for this species and accepted by the relevant regulator.
• Record the survey method, dates, start and finish times, weather, recent rain, wind, temperature where measured, ground moisture, habitat condition and observer effort.

Survey methodology: 4. Identification and records

Record every detection with a GPS location, habitat description, detection method and confidence level. Photograph animals only where this can be done without handling or damaging habitat.

Confirm identification using the yellow belly, small size, black chin in males and repeated ‘tick, tick, tick’ call. Seek expert confirmation where the call is uncertain or where the species could be confused with the Roseate Frog.

Map calling males, observed frogs, suitable breeding habitat and any area proposed for clearing or construction.

• Record whether the location is in creekline, riparian, swamp, seepage, peaty sand, wet leaf litter or forest edge habitat.
• Submit records to the relevant Western Australian biodiversity database or approval authority where required.
• Report survey limitations clearly, including dry conditions, access constraints, noise, poor calling conditions and areas that could not be searched.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoiding suitable habitat is the preferred approach for this Priority 4 species. Plan works around moist breeding habitat and obtain advice from the relevant Western Australian authority before clearing, drainage, earthworks or changes to groundwater.

Confirm whether the proposal requires referral or approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Do not assume that a state listing alone determines whether an EPBC referral is required.

Check Western Australian approvals, DBCA advice, clearing requirements, fauna licences and animal welfare obligations before work starts.

A Queensland species management program is not normally relevant because the Walpole Frog is recorded from Western Australia. If a project proposes work outside Western Australia, confirm the applicable state legislation and whether a Queensland SMP is required for any protected breeding place.

• Include the species in the project fauna management plan and clearing permit conditions where it may occur.
• Use the highest level of protection required by the approval, permit or conservation advice.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Keep creeklines, swampy plains, seepages, wet leaf litter, peaty soils and dense vegetation outside the disturbance footprint wherever practicable.

Prevent changes to the water regime that could dry moist breeding habitat. Design drainage, access tracks, stockpiles and laydown areas so they do not divert, concentrate or contaminate water entering suitable habitat.

Define exclusion areas on the ground before machinery arrives. The species has no published species specific disturbance buffer, so set buffers through the project ecologist and approval authority using habitat condition, hydrology, slope, work type and risk of indirect drying.

• Fence or mark exclusion areas clearly and maintain them throughout the works.
• Keep spoil, fuels, concrete washout, sediment and chemicals away from creeklines, swamps and seepages.
• Control access through wet habitat to prevent compaction and damage to mud tunnels and leaf litter.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre clearance survey and timing

Complete a targeted pre clearance survey during the July to December calling period where possible, with priority given to September and October. Repeat the survey if conditions are dry, very windy, noisy or otherwise unsuitable for detection.

Search all habitat proposed for disturbance and adjacent habitat that may be affected by altered drainage, vibration, lighting or access.

Avoid clearing during periods of active calling where the work can be scheduled differently. Because eggs and developing young remain in terrestrial jelly masses, do not treat the absence of adults as evidence that breeding places are empty.

• Have a qualified ecologist inspect moist soil, mud tunnels, wet leaf litter and dense vegetation before disturbance.
• Stop and reassess the footprint if a breeding place or concentration of frogs is found.
• Record the survey outcome, exclusion areas, photographs, maps and approval conditions in the site file.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induction and readiness

Induct all supervisors, operators, spotter catchers and contractors before work begins. Show the Walpole Frog, its call, suitable habitat and the locations of exclusion areas.

Give the fauna spotter catcher clear authority to stop work when a frog, breeding place or unexpected suitable habitat is found.

Prepare clean, suitable containers, disposable gloves, moist leaf material and a secure temporary holding area before clearing starts. Handling must be undertaken only by authorised, trained personnel.

• Explain the no handling, no chasing and no unauthorised relocation rules to the crew.
• Provide an emergency contact list for the project ecologist, wildlife carer, veterinarian and relevant regulator.
• Confirm hygiene procedures to reduce the risk of spreading amphibian disease between sites.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, supervised clearing sequence that leaves escape habitat connected and keeps moist ground intact wherever possible. The fauna spotter catcher should direct the work and stop machinery whenever an animal, breeding place or unexpected habitat feature is found.

Clear from the least suitable area towards retained habitat, using small work fronts and low disturbance methods where practicable.

Remove ground cover and vegetation in stages under direct supervision. Pause between stages so animals can move into retained habitat before the next area is disturbed.

Keep machinery out of exclusion areas and do not push debris, soil or sediment into creeklines, swamps, seepages or wet leaf litter.

• Inspect each section before machinery enters it.
• Keep a clear route to retained habitat where this can be done without driving frogs into exposed or unsuitable ground.
• Do not burn, bury or chip material in or beside suitable breeding habitat without ecological approval.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Handling and breeding places

Only an authorised fauna handler may capture or move a Walpole Frog. Do not handle frogs with bare hands, chase them through leaf litter or expose them to heat and drying conditions.

If a frog is found, stop nearby work, protect the location and allow the spotter catcher to assess whether it can move into retained habitat safely.

If eggs, a jelly mass, a mud tunnel or another suspected breeding place is found, stop work immediately in that area. Protect the place from trampling, vibration, drying, sediment and water contamination.

• Do not excavate, relocate or destroy a suspected breeding place unless the action is specifically authorised.
• Obtain advice from the project ecologist and relevant authority before resuming work near an active breeding place.
• Record the location, condition, photographs, action taken and approval reference.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured or distressed animals

Place an injured frog in a clean, secure, ventilated container lined with clean, damp material. Keep it shaded and cool, and minimise handling.

Do not add standing water, food, chemicals or untreated soil to the container. Keep frogs separate from other amphibians.

Contact the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or fauna authority promptly. Follow their direction on treatment, holding and release.

• Use new gloves or change gloves between animals and disinfect equipment using an approved amphibian hygiene procedure.
• Do not release an injured animal unless the authorised carer, veterinarian or ecologist confirms the release location and timing.
• Document the injury, likely cause, finder, time, location, photographs and outcome.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Daily records and stop work

Maintain a daily fauna log for all searches, sightings, calls, captures, relocations, injuries, breeding places and stop work events.

Record the species, number if known, exact location, habitat, time, weather, action taken, handler and final outcome. Record zero detections as well as detections.

The spotter catcher should report breaches of exclusion zones, unexpected drying, sediment discharge, machinery strikes and other incidents to the site supervisor and project ecologist on the same day.

• Keep maps and photographs showing cleared areas, retained habitat and any animal movement or release locations.
• Escalate any unexpected concentration of frogs or breeding places before work continues.
• Notify the relevant regulator where required by the approval, permit or incident response plan.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post clearance inspection

Post clearance checks should confirm that no animals or breeding places remain within the work area and that retained habitat has not been damaged. Review every incident before the next stage of work proceeds.

Inspect the cleared area, retained edges, access routes, spoil areas and drainage controls after each clearing stage. Search moist ground, leaf litter, mud tunnels and vegetation edges where these remain.

Complete additional checks after rain or when frogs are calling if the project ecologist considers that further detections are possible.

Compare the final disturbance footprint with the approved map and confirm that exclusion areas remain intact.

• Record the inspection date, personnel, effort, conditions, areas checked and results.
• Repair damaged exclusion fencing, drainage controls or sediment controls immediately.
• Stop work if a frog, breeding place or unapproved disturbance is found.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals and breeding places

Confirm the condition and outcome of every relocated animal with the authorised handler. Record the release location, habitat, time and any follow up required.

Release animals only at an approved nearby location with suitable moist cover and no immediate construction risk. Do not release them into water unless specifically directed by an amphibian specialist.

Continue to protect any retained or authorised breeding place until the project ecologist confirms that the risk has passed or the approval provides another action.

• Do not move eggs, jelly masses or developing young without specific expert and regulatory approval.
• Check release sites for drying, sediment, lighting, vehicle access and other immediate hazards.
• Include all relocation and breeding place records in the project completion report.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained habitat where the project may alter water movement, soil moisture, vegetation cover, noise or lighting. Use repeat nocturnal call surveys when monitoring is required.

Compare results with pre clearance records and document changes in calling activity, habitat condition and evidence of breeding.

Report clearing completion, fauna incidents, breeding places, relocations, injuries, unexpected impacts and corrective actions to the proponent and relevant authority.

• Use the same survey locations and methods where practicable so results can be compared.
• Increase monitoring if habitat dries, sediment enters wetlands, frogs are found injured, or new records occur near the works.
• Retain maps, photographs, raw survey data, weather records and approval correspondence.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review each fauna incident with the supervisor, spotter catcher and project ecologist before the next work stage.

Identify whether the cause was poor habitat mapping, inadequate induction, unsuitable timing, damaged exclusion fencing, machinery access, altered drainage or another factor.

Update the clearing sequence, controls, training and monitoring plan before work resumes.

• Share lessons with all crews and subcontractors.
• Record corrective actions, responsible persons and completion dates.
• Escalate repeated incidents or any impact to an active breeding place to the relevant approval authority.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Habitat restoration

Rehabilitation should recreate the moist, shaded and connected habitat used by the Walpole Frog. Focus on creekline function, wet leaf litter, peaty soil, dense native vegetation and protection from drying, weeds and disturbance.

Restore natural drainage and retain seasonal moisture without creating erosion, ponding or polluted flows. Do not assume that permanent open water is beneficial, as the species develops on land and does not require free standing water for tadpole development.

Replace locally appropriate native vegetation along creeklines, swamp edges, seepages and forest margins. Retain or reinstate wet leaf litter and organic soil where practicable.

Use local provenance plant material where required by the rehabilitation plan and protect planted areas from vehicles, grazing, fire and compaction.

• Reconnect fragmented wet habitat where the project has divided creekline or swamp vegetation.
• Keep rehabilitation areas shaded and sheltered from excessive wind and drying.
• Do not import soil, mulch or water that could carry amphibian disease, weeds or contaminants.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Breeding habitat and structures

Prioritise natural breeding habitat, including moist soil, mud, leaf litter and dense vegetation. The species uses terrestrial jelly masses and direct development, so artificial ponds are not a substitute for suitable damp ground.

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or roost structures for this species. These structures are not known to be suitable for the Walpole Frog.

Where soil has been compacted or breeding habitat has been removed, use an amphibian ecologist to design site specific restoration that recreates stable moist soil, cover and natural drainage.

• Protect restored mud and leaf litter from trampling until vegetation and soil structure recover.
• Do not excavate artificial tunnels or move breeding material unless the action is designed and approved by a qualified specialist.
• Monitor whether restored areas retain moisture through summer and support calling frogs during the July to December calling period.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and lighting

Control weeds without broad scale chemical application in or beside wet habitat. Use methods that protect frogs, eggs, soil moisture and native leaf litter.

Manage sediment, hydrocarbons, concrete washout and other pollutants before they reach creeklines, seepages or swamps.

Use low spill lighting near retained and restored habitat. Direct lights away from vegetation, wet ground and creeklines, and switch off unnecessary lighting when work is complete.

• Inspect drainage and sediment controls after rain and maintain them until the site is stable.
• Prevent irrigation, dewatering or groundwater drawdown from drying restored habitat.
• Remove temporary access tracks and compacted laydown areas, then restore soil structure and native ground cover.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation for survival of native plants, weed cover, soil moisture, drainage, erosion, leaf litter and damage from vehicles or people.

Use nocturnal call surveys during July to December, with priority in September and October, where monitoring is required by the approval or rehabilitation plan.

Compare monitoring results with reference habitat and pre disturbance records. The Walpole Frog is poorly known in some aspects of its ecology, so adapt management when monitoring identifies drying, loss of cover or other decline.

• Keep permanent photographs and mapped monitoring points.
• Investigate changes in calling activity alongside rainfall and seasonal water conditions.
• Continue corrective actions until the rehabilitation area is stable and meets the approved completion criteria.

Sources

• [PDF] Frogs - DBCA Library, WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/FullTextFiles/021065.pdf
• REPORT, Western Australian Government: https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Referral_Documentation/Appendix%20H%20-%20Terrestrial%20Vertebrate%20Fauna%20Assessment%20Report%202023.pdf
• by David Pearson, Carolyn Thomson-Dans, WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions: https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/FullTextFiles/026467.pdf
• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/