Sheep or Main's Frog

Cyclorana maini Tyler & Martin 1977

Species Info Card | Updated 1 decade ago

A moderately-sized (to 5 cm), rotund species. The fingers are slender and unwebbed and the toes approximately half-webbed. The limbs are short to moderately long. The back is generally dull grey or pale brown and bears small and usually longitudinally-arranged darker brown or olive markings, or else darkier markings of indeterminate shape. Some individuals can change their background colouration from green to brown within a few hours. All exhibit a dark stripe from the nostril to the tympanum.

Breeding Biology

An 'explosive' breeder that responds to cyclonic rains. Massive numbers of indivuals emerge, call, mate and then return underground. Tadpole development is rapid and achieve a length of about 2 cm.

Habitat

Most commonly found on floodplains and in areas near temporary stream beds.

Etymology

This species is named after Albert 'Bert' Main, a pioneer of Western Australian frog studies based at UWA.

Arid zone. From the Pilbara and inland through the central western deserts. Also occurs in the southern Northern Territory and northern South Australia

Similar to a sheep bleating or perhaps an ambulance siren.