Fun Southern Corroboree Frog Facts For Kids

The southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is a poisonous, toxic species of ground-dwelling frogs that are native to the southern tablelands of Australia. It belongs to the family Myobatrachidae, from the order Anura, and looks bright yellow and black in color. There are two different species under the name corroboree frogs which are the southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) and the northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi). The unique feature of this frog is that they produce their own poison instead of taking it from their food, like other frog species.

They are a Critically Endangered species that hibernate during the winter under leaves, snow gum trees, or bits of bark. The poison produced by these frogs has a unique name, known as pseudo phrynamine. The population of these species declined greatly in the past, during the 1970s, and nowadays they are only found in Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales.

If you want to know more about frogs, you can also check out these Amazon milk frogs and white-lipped tree frogs.

What type of animal is a southern corroboree frog?

The southern corroboree frog is a toxic frog that creates its own poisonous alkaloid belonging to the family Myobatrachidae. Woodland, forest, and heath adjacent to breeding sites occur for the non-breeding habitat.

What class of animal does a southern corroboree frog belong to?

The southern corroboree frogs are of class Amphibia and phylum Chordata. They hibernate during winters and start breeding after the age of four years. This species declined during the 1970s in Australia as many suffered from a disease called chytrid fungus, fatally destroying the frog's skin.

How many southern corroboree frogs are there in the world?

In the 1970s in Australia, the population of these frogs fell, and only 64 adults were left in the wild. One of the main reasons for their decline is the chytrid fungus which spoils their skin and may lead to death.

Where does a southern corroboree frog live?

Southern corroboree frogs live in Mount Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of NSW (New South Wales). They are found at the heights of 4265- 5774.2 ft (1300-1760 m) above sea level. They are also found in sub-alpine regions in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Their range is limited because the population is declining due to a major disease known as chytrid fungus, infecting other Australian frog species. They are endemic to these parts of Australia.

What is a southern corroboree frog's habitat?

Southern corroboree frogs are Australia's most endangered species as compared to other Australian frogs. They are found living in different habitats, including wetlands and drylands. Their main habitats include wet heaths and fens, pools, seepages in sphagnum bogs, and wet tussock grasslands. Other than breeding areas, they used to live and feed in montane forests, subalpine woodlands, tall heaths, dense leaf litter, and under logs and rocks in nearby woodlands. It is common for them to breed in water bodies during the breeding season.

The Taronga Zoo in Sydney is still co-operating in breeding and releasing the frog's eggs so that their population rises in Kosciuszko National Park and Brindabella National Park. Earlier, the breeding performed by the zoo was successful, and they were able to release hundreds of eggs into the wild.

Who do the southern corroboree frogs live with?

Southern corroboree frogs, or any species of Australian frogs, are found living in groups. Groups of these frogs are called knots, colonies, or packs. This amphibian avoids living alone in the wild as its range is limited.

How long does a southern corroboree frog live?

This Australian frog lives for around nine years, and they reach maturity at the age of three to four years.

How do they reproduce?

These Australian frogs, or southern corroboree frogs, hit maturity at the age of three to four years and start breeding then as well. Their breeding season occurs in January and February when the males start moving to mate sites in early to late summer. The main process is started by the males, where they make a nest in soft vegetation in the wild and call the females with a unique call to come and mate with them and then lay their eggs in those nests. Females lay around 16-38 eggs in a clutch, and the male frog directly deposits the sperms on the eggs placed in the nest. The eggs hatch, and the life cycle from a tadpole to a frog takes six to eight months. Breeding occurs in wet heath and fens,  pools, and seepages in sphagnum bogs and wet tussock grasslands, and the woodland, forest, and heath are also adjacent to breeding sites for non-breeding habitat. The Taronga Zoo in Sydney is taking steps to breed these frogs and leave them in the wild population to increase the number of these amphibians.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the southern corroboree frog is Critically Endangered by the IUCN. The zoo in Sydney is trying its best to increase the number in the wild, but there are still some natural threats that cause a decline in this species. There are no predators for these frogs because they are toxic and release alkaloid poison, but some other threats including climate change, fire and habitat disturbance, fire and feral animals, and chytrid fungus, which may also lead to death.

What does the southern corroboree frog look like?

The southern corroboree frog is remembered for its bright yellow and black stripes on its body. The color of their belly has a slight color change which includes a marbled belly and white and yellow longitudinal stripes. They are 0.9-1.1 in (2.5-3 cm) in length, with a weight of up to 0.1 oz (3 g), and as known, the coloration of both males and females is the same, but the female is quite larger than the male. The male makes a nest and calls the female in the unique voice, and when they mate, the females lay eggs there in the nest.

How cute are they?

These frogs have a unique look with yellow stripes, which makes them recognizable and cute.

How do they communicate?

The male makes a nest and calls the female in a unique voice to mate with them, and then they breed, and after breeding, the females lay their eggs in the nest.

How big is a southern corroboree frog?

The southern corroboree frog is 0.9-1.1 in (2.5-3 cm) in length, which is very small as compared to any other Australian frog and the female are larger than males. They are two times smaller than a common frog.

How fast can a southern corroboree frog swim?

The actual speed of this wild population is not known, but the Australian frogs have a* fast speed to catch their prey faster than humans.

How much does a southern corroboree frog weigh?

They weigh up to 1 oz (0.3 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no sex-specific names for these frogs.

What would you call a baby southern corroboree frog?

The baby of a frog is called a tadpole.

What do they eat?

They mainly feed on beetles, mites, ants, and insect larvae, and as such, they do not have any predators because they are very toxic frogs.

Are they poisonous?

Yes, they are highly poisonous as they make their own alkaloid poison called pseudo phrynamine and do not produce it from their food sources. They are highly toxic species of Australian frogs.

Would they make a good pet?

They are not safe to be kept as pets as this wild population is unusual in nature and is highly toxic, and can harm humans as well.

Did you know...

The Taronga zoo Sydney is helping to inbreed and increasing their population in the wild and Kosciuszko National Park and Brindabella National Park. They produce a squelch-like sound.

Why is it called Corroboree frog?

The name was designated by John Moore in 1953. They are recognized by the yellow and black stripes, and corroboree here means meeting the aboriginal Australians when they adorn themselves in white stripes.

Why is the Corroboree Frog important?

They should be saved from going extinct because they can help in major achievements at the global level for amphibian conservation.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other Amphibians from our pickerel frog facts and western toad facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Southern corroboree coloring pages.