Yellow-spotted Bell Frog (Litoria castanea)
Description
- The Yellow-spotted Bell Frog is a large species, growing 53-85 mm long.
- Its back is a dull olive to emerald-green with black spots and bronze patches.
- It has a pale green stripe that runs down the centre of its back.
- It is similar to the Southern Bell Frog (Litoria raniformis).
Find out more about the Yellow-spotted Bell Frog on Canberra NatureMapr.
Where to find them
They’ve been recorded living in 2 areas in south-eastern Australia, including:
- New England Tableland Bioregion around Guyra
- South-Eastern Highlands Bioregion around Lake George to Canberra and Bombala to Delegate.
The frog has not been spotted in the New England Tableland since 1975, or in the southern tablelands since 1980. It likely went extinct in the wild, and the species is only persisting through a breeding program with an associated release program.
They have been found in areas that have tall reeds or grassy banks. This includes:
- permanent ponds
- swamps
- lagoons
- farm dams
- still backwaters of slow-moving streams.
Conservation threats
The biggest threat to the Yellow-spotted Bell Frog is disease and destruction of its habitat. Other threats include:
- the amphibian chytrid fungus (a fungus that affects the skin)
- infection from parasites
- habitat loss and degradation
- changes in water salinity
- chemicals
- small population size and population fragmentation
- climate change (temperature increase and extreme weather such as cyclones and droughts)
Conservation status
- National – Critically endangered (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
- Australian Capital Territory – Critically endangered (Nature Conservation Act 2014).
Conservation actions
The Yellow-spotted Bell Frog is considered locally extinct. If the species is reintroduced or rediscovered in the ACT, conservation efforts would be aimed at reducing the threats that contributed to its local extinction. This includes to:
- control exotic fish in areas near frog populations
- control foxes and cats
- maintain natural water flows
- protect wetlands and creeks from erosion and sediment build-up
- reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides in or near habitats
- retain fallen timber, rocks and other debris near wetlands and creeks
- protect wetlands and creeks from clearing or disturbance
- work with landholders and managers on management and monitoring plans
- continue persistence of the species in the face of amphibian chytrid fungus
- carry out captive breeding to protect the species and support future population increases.