Nature

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About Blue Mountains Frogs The Red Crowned Toadlet The Blue Mountains is home to 29 frog species. One of these is the Red-crowned Toadlet which is classified as "vulnerable" Schedule 2 under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. The habitat of a population of these tiny frogs at Blaxland is threatened by the Couglan Road Stage 2 subdivision. Frogs are in decline around the world. Scientists are puzzled, yet the obvious reason is the impact of humans on the habitat of these sensitive creatures. So what does it matter? Frogs are an important part of the food chain - the intricate web of life - a fragile balance between consuming and being consumed. The disappearance of frogs, an integral strand in the web of life, is a general indication of the degradation of the environment. "Only a Frog ...." In November 1997 National Parks and Wildlife Service indicated to Council that the fauna and flora assessment submitted for the Couglan Road Stage 2 development was inadequate and that Red-crowned Toadlets were known to occur on the same lot. Additional flora and fauna reports by the applicant (Ralph Williams) concluded that no Red-crowned Toadlets had been found on the part of the site to be developed and that the development would be unlikely to have any detrimental affect on habitats/potential habitats of the "toad" population. After these reports had been lodged with Council a population of Red-crowned Toadlets were identified on the site. Council officers and Councillors were notified of this prior to the Council meeting on 16 December, and Danny Wotherspoon detailed how the habitat and population would be adversely affected by the proposed development. Despite this advice, and the fact that clearly no Species Impact Statement had been prepared, a majority of Councillors voted to approve the development. One Councillor went so far as to state that they are "only frogs" and implied that their presence should not be used as a reason to stop or modify a subdivision. Why have a Threatened Species Conservation Act if the threatened species are not to be protected? If you are concerned about this decision by Council, why not write to the above mentioned Councillors and tell them what you think? Frogs of the Lower Blue Mountains Scientific Name Common Name Habitat Abundance Call Adelotus brevis Tusk Frog Ditches, streams Uncommon Chook-like Crinia signifiera Common Eastern Froglet Cosmopolitan Abundant Eh-eh-eh-eh Heleioporous australiasicus Giant Burrowing Frog Sandy Alluvial Creeks in pristine Sclerophyll bushland Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Owl-like oo-oo-oo-oo Limnodynastes dumerilii ssp. dumerilii Banjo Frog Dams, slow flowing streams Uncommon One banjo strum Limnodynastes dumerilii ssp. grayi Gray’s Banjo Frog Dams, slow flowing streams Uncommon Three banjo strums Limnodynastes ornatus Ornate Burrowing Frog Dams, streams Uncommon "flipper" the dolphin Limnodynastes peronii Striped Marsh Frog Cosmospolitan Abundant "bonk" Lymnodynastes tasmaniensis Spotted Marsh Frog Dams, ditches Uncommon Uk-uk-uk Small boy imitating a machine gun Mixophyes fasciolatus Striped Barred Frog Rainforest creeks Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Wark-wark-wark Mixophyes balbus Stuttering Barred Frog Rainforest creeks Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Wark-wark-wark Mixophyes iteratus Repeating Barred Frog Rainforest creeks Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Wark-wark-wark Paracrinia haswellii Haswell’s Froglet Creeks, dams, wetlands Uncommon Ah-ah Pseudophryne australis Red Crown Toadlet Seepages in sandstone areas (generally) Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Slow eh-eh-eh Pseudophryne bibronii Bibrons Toadlet Seepages in sandstone areas (generally) Boyd Plateau Bogs Soo to be Schedule 2 TSC Act 1995 Be-chuck-eh Uperoleia laevigata Smooth Toadlet Flooded Grassy Woodland Uncommon Gaarp Uperoleia tyleri Tyler’s Toadlet Flooded Grassy Woodland Uncommon Gaarp Litoia aurea Green and Golden Bell Frog Wetlands (generally) Schedule 1 TSC Act 1995 Long graawl Litoia caerulea Green Tree Frog Human Habitation Regionally endangered Ah-ah-ah-ah.. Litoria citropa Blue Mountains Tree Frog Rocky pools in creeks Uncommon Sharp harsh sream then a soft trill Litoria chloris Red-eyed Tree Frog Rainforest creeks, Human habitation Uncommon Crow-like Litoria dentata Bleating Tree Frog Dams,wetlands Common Deafening bleating Litoria fallax Cork Screw Frog Dams, wetlands Common Zipp, zippppp Litoria freycinet Freycinet’s Tree Frog Dams, ephemeral wetlands Occasional   Litoria latopalmata Broad-palmed Tree Frog Cosmopolitan Occasional Like L.latopalmata but less regular Litoria lesueuri Leseuer’s Tree Frog Creeks and wetlands Occasional Slow to rapid quacking Litoria jervisiensis Jervis Bay Tree Frog Creeks, wetlands and flooded areas Occasional Weep-weep… Litoria littlejohni Littlejohn’s Tree Frog Rocky flowing creeks Occasional Lo reedy whistle Litoria phyllochroa Green Leaf Tree Frog Rocky Creeks Occasional 3-4 syllable Litoria peronii Peron’s Green Tree Frog Dams, wetlands Common Ascending cackle Litoria revelata Whirring Tree Frog Dams, wetlands Occasional Whirr-whirr-whirr..whirr.. Litoria tyleri Tyler’s Tree Frog Dams, wetlands Occasional 5-10 explosive laughs Litoria verreuxii Verreux’s Tree Frog Dams, creeks Occasional Rapid pulsing whistle – cree-cree-cree…