Moaning Frog - Heleioporus eyrei
Description
This enigmatic frog is one of the most commonly seen and heard frogs in
the Perth region. It is a medium to largish frog, with a brown-grey back
covered in yellow or grey-black patches.It has a rather rounded snout and
large eyes. It is generally a stout and squat frog, without webbed feet.
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Moaning Frog
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(Copyright R.Davis, 1998).
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Distribution
The Moaning Frog is found in the extreme coastal fringe of the southwest,
on sandplains from the Irwin River in the north, to Walpole on the south
coast, and south-east to Cape Arid (Tyler et al., 1994). It is common
around Perth, on the Swan Coastal Plain and in the Darling Range.
Call and Breeding Biology
The call of this frog gives it its common name. The call is described as
a long, rising moan (Tyler et al., 1994).
The Moaning Frog calls from a sandy burrow which it digs at an angle
to a horizontal land surface (Tyler et al., 1994). A mate is attracted
to the calling male, and copulation takes place in the burrow. Clutches
of 80-500 eggs are laid in the burrow. Tadpoles hatch upon the burrow being
flooded by water (burrows are situated in the vicinity of watercourses
or areas likely to be inundated) and swim free in pools of standing water.
This species occupies non-breeding habitat for most of the year, migrating
to breed during autumn. There is evidence to suggest that the Moaning Frog
may migrate several kilometres each year in an effort to return to the
same breeding site (Bamford, pers. comm.).
References
Tyler, M.J., Smith, L.A. and Johnstone, R.E. (1994). Frogs of Western
Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth.
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Created: 25/10/98.