Northern Burrowing Frog

Neobatrachus aquilonius Tyler, Davies & Martin 1981

Species Info Card | Updated 1 decade ago

A medium-sized (up to 6 cm) robust burrowing frog with short legs. The eyes are cat-like with vertical pupils. Bright yellow or greenish with scattered dark irregular markings. The belly is white.

Breeding Biology

Breeds in shallow flooded areas after cyclonic rains. A female was recorded as having laid 1500 eggs. Nothing known on the eggs and tadpoles.

Habitat

Found in sparsely vegetated country, including coastal dunes.

Etymology

The word aquilonius is Latin for 'northern', as this is the most northerly distributed member of the genus.

General

This species is a 'tetraploid' meaning it has four sets of chromosomes (the usual number is two - one from each parent).

Distribution map for Northern Burrowing Frog

Arid eastern half of Western Australia, and also in arid central NT.

A short trill.