Growling Grass Frog

Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis)

growling_grass_frog_01

Image source: Department of Education (Ecolink)

The Growling Grass Frog is one of the largest frog species in Australia, they lack webbing on their fingers but the toes are almost fully webbed.

Distribution: Once widespread across Victoria and absent only from the western desert regions and the eastern alpine regions. The species has receded from most of its former range across Victoria. Currently only persists in isolated patches in the Highlands Landcare region.

Habitat: This species is found mostly amongst emergent vegetation, including Typha sp. (bullrush), Phragmites sp. (reeds) and Eleocharis sp.(sedges), in or at the edges of still or slow-flowing water bodies such as lagoons, swamps, lakes, ponds and farm dams.

Submerged vegetation is very important habitat for breeding success as it provides egg-laying sites, calling stages for males, and food and shelter for tadpoles

Threats: Habitat loss and Fragmentation, Habitat degradation (Overgrazing by livestock around the edges of wetlands) and Altered flooding regimes

Further Reading:

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=1828

http://www.swifft.net.au/cb_pages/growling_grass_frog.php

www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/103408/GGF_fact_sheet.pdf