Alpine tree frog. Photo Wombey, NatureMapr | CC BY 3.0 AU

Alpine tree frog

Littoria verreauxii alpine
Endangered: Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
Vulnerable: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The alpine tree frog is small (about 3cm), green-brown, and makes a trilled whistling song during spring and summer. They only occur in alpine and sub-alpine areas, usually above 1100m. Most known occurrences are within alpine national parks in NSW and Victoria.

The frog’s name is somewhat misleading – alpine tree frogs are poor climbers and spend most of their lives on the ground. For breeding, they depend on wetlands, ponds, bogs, fens (low, marshy lands), streamside pools, dams and still or slow flowing drainage channels. The males call from the water at the edges of pools, and eggs are attached to submerged vegetation.

Habitat loss and modification by feral horses has been identified as a major threat to this species. Grazing habits of horses, and ground compaction from their large, heavy, sharp hooves changes vegetation structure and type, as well as creating erosion and causing degradation of water quality and changes to stream morphology.

The NSW Scientific Committee (2002) determined that all breeding locations of these frogs are vulnerable to trampling by feral horses.

References

• Barker J., Grigg G. and Tyler M.J. (1995) A Field Guide to Australian frogs. (Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney)
• NSW Scientific Committee (2002) Alpine tree frog – Endangered species determination – final. DEC (NSW), Sydney