St...St...Stuttering Success!
Aussie Ark celebrates first-ever breeding of the endangered Southern Stuttering Frog
Hundreds of eggs transform into tadpoles in Aussie Ark’s Conservation Ark facility located at the Australian Reptile Park
Conservation organisation Aussie Ark is thrilled to announce its very first successful breeding of the endangered Southern Stuttering Frog, with hundreds of eggs magically transforming into hundreds of tadpoles over the past month.
The Southern Stuttering Frog is one of two endangered amphibians included in Aussie Ark’s famous breeding and rewilding program, safeguarded in specialised aquaria in the Conservation Ark facility in the grounds of the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby, NSW.
Aussie Ark has previously observed courtship and spawning behaviour; however, earlier attempts were unsuccessful, with the eggs proving infertile. So when a female in the program laid eggs last month, it was an excruciating ‘wait and watch’ for the team. A male frog must externally fertilise the eggs for success, and this fertilisation wasn’t witnessed.
Conservation Ark Rangers monitored the eggs around the clock, maintaining perfect climatic conditions to mimic those in the wild, and kept fingers crossed. And their hard work and patience paid off! The eggs visibly changed texture and colour before magically revealing tiny tadpoles evolving within. After seven days’ incubation, the eggs hatched over a couple of days, filling the aquarium with dozens of tiny tadpoles.
Conservation Ark Ranger Kaitlin Murphy oversees the program and is deeply dedicated to its success.
“The Southern Stuttering Frog takes a long time to morph from tadpole to frog; between 9-18 months depending on environmental conditions,” Ms Murphy said. “So in total, I’ll be caring for these little guys for almost two years. It will be a privilege!”
The Southern Stuttering Frog is found along Australia’s east coast from Queensland to northeastern Victoria, but is sadly in decline and facing extinction throughout its range, mostly due to habitat loss and the deadly chytrid fungus, which is decimating frogs worldwide. Tadpoles bred at Conservation Ark are helping to build chytrid-resistant populations, strengthening the future of this threatened species in the wild.
