Frog Regions

Landscape of the Darling Ranges, a rocky hill top with a great tree reaching up

Southwest

Region

Rolling dry hard ground with small water oasis under a harsh hot sun

Arid Zone

Region

Rushing river running through a lanscape of massive burning red rocks

Kimberley

Region

A regional approach to WA's frogs

Western Australia covers a massive latitudinal range, from the Mediterranean South-western region, across the vast arid zone and up in to the northern monsoonal tropics of the Kimberley.

Southwest - Cold, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Frogs begin breeding in autumn after the early rains (many of these are burrowing species of Heleioporus and Pseudophryne species), many species breeding in winter (e.g. Froglets, Slender Tree Frog, Ticking Frog) and spring species that enjoy a combination of lingering rains and water coupled with warming temperatures (e.g. Motorbike, Turtle and Banjo Frogs, Geocrinia rosea). Almost all species are endemic to the Southwest.

Kimberley - Savannah woodlands in the southern areas, with extensive rocky areas (sandstone) especially in the north-west region. Heavy monsoonal rains in summer with a mild dry winter season. Litoria species are especially abundant here. There are many endemic species in the north-western high rainfall region, and many species are distributed widely in northern Australia, occuring east to the Northern Territory and even Queensland.

Arid Zone - Extensive sandy deserts with isolated rocky regions such as the Pilbara and Central Ranges. This area receives low irregular rainfall mostly during summer as cyclones move south from the northern tropics. Except for the Pilbara region, many species are distributed widely with many also occuring on the edge of the Southwest region. The desert-adapted Neobatrachus, Notaden and Cyclorana species are the most diverse genera of frogs here.

Map of Australia showing the Arid Zone, Kimberley and south west regions