Welcome to Part Three of our three part series on Tasmanian Reptiles and Amphibians. I hope you’ve enjoyed the series so far. As promised in part one, here are the names and informational links for all eleven Tasmanian frog species. They are truly beautiful specimens, especially the Green and Gold Frog and the Moss Froglet. If you click the links, you can even listen to them call!

Southern toadlet Pseudophryne semimarmorata
Green and Gold Frog Litoria raniformis - threatened
Moss froglet Bryobatrachus nimbus
Brown tree frog Litoria ewingi
Tasmanian tree frog Litoria burrowsae
Common froglet Crinia signifera
Tasmanian froglet Crinia tasmaniensis
Eastern banjo frog Limnodynastes dumerili
Striped marsh frog Limnodynastes peroni - threatened
Spotted marsh frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis
Smooth froglet Geocrinia laevis


The frogs of Tasmania range in size from 30mm to 100mm. Like the lizards, they are found in all manner of habitats available in Tasmania, and they are thriving as of now. Unlike the lizards who are somewhat sedate in appearance; however, most of the frogs are beautifully patterned. Even the plain frogs hide secrets. Take a look at the underbelly shot of the Southern Toadlet (click the link above). Does it look familiar? It certainly does! It resembles a blue version of the underbelly of a Fire-Bellied Toad. The Tasmanian Froglet hides a similar color secret. The underside of its thighs and vent are bright red in color.

Like the two species mentioned in the previous paragraph, several Tasmanian frogs stand out for different reasons. The Green and Gold Frog, for example, stands out for its beautiful contrasting green and gold appearance with its accenting black lines and cat-like eyes. Being one of the largest frogs in Tasmania, it’s also known for its sheer size. The Southern Toadlet also stands out (as other members of its genus) for its lack of hearing apparatus. No one knows how it is able to hear airborne sounds! Most impressively, the Eastern Banjo frogs stand out for their romantic dedication. They have been known to migrate up to 2 kilometers to reach breeding sites!

Like the lizards, few of the frogs are presently endangered. The Green and Gold frog is the only species listed as vulnerable for now. Unfortunately, that may change in the future. Like the amphibians of many other countries, Tasmania’s amphibians are under attack, and there is no cure. The Chytrid fungus has officially been recorded in one area of Tasmania. The arrival of this fungus does not bode well for any amphibians anywhere, but it is especially unfortunate for the Green and Gold Frog and its already rapid population decline.

As of now, the area in which the fungus has been found has been declared as a Restricted Area in an effort to slow the spread of the fungus. Because of this fungus, learning about amphibians of the world is especially important. Soon, they may be gone. We’re lucky enough to live at a time when so many amphibians from all over the world are still here for us to see first hand and for us to study and to learn from. Let’s hope they’re still around for our children and our children’s children to see first hand.

Thank you for taking this brief look into Tasmania’s amphibians with me. It’s been both educational to learn about the individual species and inspiring to see populations not yet in decline. Time may be running out for the amphibians of Tasmania and the world, but let’s hope not. After all, there are so many beautiful reptiles and amphibian species in the world yet to study and hopefully even more species yet to be discovered!