Striped marsh frog

Striped marsh frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Limnodynastidae
Genus: Limnodynastes
Species:
L. peronii
Binomial name
Limnodynastes peronii
Striped marsh frog geographic distribution (in black)
Synonyms
  • Cystignathus peronii
    A.M.C. Dumeril & Bibron, 1841
  • Borborocoetes peronii
    (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1841)
  • Wagleria peronii
    (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1841)
  • Limnodynastes krefftii
    Günther, 1863
  • Limnodynastes lineatus
    De Vis, 1884

The striped marsh frog (Limnodynastes peronii), also called the brown-striped frog, is a species of predominantly aquatic frog in the family Limnodynastidae. The species is native to coastal eastern Australia. It is a common species in urban habitats.

Taxonomy and etymology

The striped marsh frog was described by French naturalists André Marie Constant Duméril and Gabriel Bibron in 1841. The specific name, peronii, is in honor of François Péron, a French naturalist and explorer.: 166 

Description

Females of Limnodynastes peronii may reach a head + body length of 75 millimetres (3.0 in) and males 70 millimetres (2.8 in). Both sexes are a shade of brown on the dorsal surface. This colour can be light or dark; it can also be a red-brown on the dorsal surface. There are distinct darker stripes running down the frogs back (giving this species its common names). There is normally a paler mid-dorsal stripe running down the back. There is a black "mask" that runs from the nostril, through the eye and down to the shoulder. This "mask" is followed by a thick light golden line that runs underneath the "mask" and terminates at the end of the mouth. Breeding males develop thick arms, which are used in "wrestling" matches with other frogs. The throat of males is yellow in colour. The belly is white.

Geographic distribution

Limnodynastes peronii is distributed from the southern parts of the Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland, through all of coastal New South Wales, Southern Victoria to southeastern South Australia and Northern Tasmania. Although this species is very common in coastal NSW, it is not common in Tasmania and listed as rare.

Ecology and behaviour

Striped marsh frog with spawn
Striped marsh frog spawn in a garden pond in Melbourne

Limnodynastes peronii is the most frequently encountered frog on the east coast of Australia. It is normally the first frog to colonise a garden frog pond and is often a victim of backyard swimming pools. It will inhabit ponds, roadside ditches, creeks, dams, flooded areas and any other available water body. The natural prey of this species includes another local species of frog called Bibron's toadlet (Pseudophryne bibronii). The striped marsh frog is tolerant of polluted water. During all months of the year (particularly spring to autumn), males call while floating in water from a hidden area in vegetation, emitting a "knock" call resembling the sound of hitting a piece of timber with a hammer. This call is familiar to anyone in Sydney who has a garden pond.

Several studies have used the striped marsh frog to try to understand why worldwide amphibian declines are greater in montane regions. Researchers have found that negative effects of low temperatures and high ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation on tadpole survival are greater when the two stressors are combined. UVB radiation decreased the survival of striped marsh frog tadpoles, but there was an increasingly large mortality rate when low temperatures were involved. UVB radiation caused DNA damage, and as the temperature decreased, the turnover time to repair DNA decreased, so the damage lasted longer.

Reproduction

The breeding season of Limnodynastes peronii is from late winter to early spring. Eggs are laid in a foamy nest, and tadpoles can take 8–12 months to develop. The pale brown tadpoles can be up to 6.5 cm (2.6 in) long.

Human interactions

In Australia Limnodynastes peronii may be kept in captivity with the appropriate permit. Also, the striped marsh frog often colonises garden ponds.

Sources

References

  1. ↑ IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group. (2022). "Limnodynastes peronii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022 e.T41163A78443487. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T41163A78443487.en. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2023). "Limnodynastes peronii (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Beolens, B.; Watkins, M.; Grayson, M. (2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Exeter, England: Pelagic Publishing. ISBN 978-1-907807-41-1. xiii + 244 pp.
  4. ↑ Wildlife of Greater Brisbane. Brisbane: Queensland Museum. 2007. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-9775943-1-3.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tyler, Michael (2011). Field Guide to the Frogs of Australia (Revised ed.). CSIRO Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-643-10398-6.
  6. 1 2 Lundsgaard, Niclas U; Cramp, Rebecca L; Franklin, Craig E (1 January 2020). "Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on physiology, immune function and survival is dependent on temperature: implications for amphibian declines". Conservation Physiology. 8 (1) coaa002. doi:10.1093/conphys/coaa002. PMC 7245394. PMID 32467758.
  7. ↑ Morison, Samuel A.; Cramp, Rebecca L.; Alton, Lesley A.; Franklin, Craig E. (9 October 2019). "Cooler temperatures slow the repair of DNA damage in tadpoles exposed to ultraviolet radiation: Implications for amphibian declines at high altitude". Global Change Biology. 26 (3): 1225–1234. doi:10.1111/gcb.14837. PMID 31518484. S2CID 202571735.
  8. ↑ Mark Davidson. 2005. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications. ISBN 0-9758200-0-1
  9. ↑ "Striped Marsh Frog". Australian Museum. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.