ASH Newsletter 2005 - The Australian Society of Herpetologists

ASH Newsletter 2005
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News from New South Wales
Department of Primary Industries (State Forests of NSW)
Frank Lemckert’s PhD work (through Newcastle University) continues to be drought
affected, but this will provide interesting results to consider when the drought breaks.
Analyses indicate the variables affecting the use of ponds are, umm well variable,
between species and no one pond fits all. A study including ponds from a greater
geographical range is underway to see if more ponds and greater variation in
habitats provides as different picture still. Water quality and predators are also being
tested for their influence. Over 30 ponds have been constructed in the Watagan
Mountains, a bit north of Sydney, are being monitored to see who moves in and
whether they follow the predictions based on the habitat study. At least four ponds
have already been colonised by the heath frog, which is pretty good given they are
known from only five other sites in those Mountains. He will attempt to burn some of
these ponds soon to see what it does to the resident frog population.
Trent Penman has just joined Frank in the Forest Biodiversity section where he has
taken up a post-doc (sort of) position to look at the long term impacts of fire on a
forest section near Eden in NSW. Trent will be looking at the responses of the
vegetation and vertebrates, but plans to give the reptiles special attention. It will also
give him the chance to keep an eye on his giant burrowing frogs and otherwise work
on more habitat and Bioclim modelling for frogs in NSW.

Justin Williams in the Wauchope office has almost completed a paper looking at the
survey success for Philoria sphagnicolus in that region, which provides a good
assessment of the effectiveness of their attempts to find and protect them. The
reserved areas seem to fit this species of mountain frog well, although if this applies
to the other species is not known. Kelly Rowley and Chris Slade have continued the
monitoring of Pseudophryne pengilleyi in the area around Tumut. They seem to be
doing much better than Pseudophryne corroboree (hard not to be), having relatively
stable numbers over the last five years. Their monitoring results are to be included in
some work by Frank Lemckert to develop a model monitoring strategy for frogs,
taking all that nasty detection variability into account.
Collaborative research continues through Harko Werkman at Newcastle University.
Harko has almost completed his broad ranging look at stream breeding frogs and we
should see some publications soon. Beth Mott (University of Wollongong) has also
handed in as well as producing a child and we await the outcome of the examiners.
She found that plantations have simplified structures that suit some reptiles and
frogs, but not others. They are also relatively hot, but grow to resemble native
forests if they are not thinned out.
Work with Cameron Slatyer and Daniel Rosauer at the Department of Environment
and Heritage in Canberra is producing results. The patterns of anuran species
richness and endemism in Australia have been reviewed using the latest available
information. Cameron and Daniel have been able to put together a database of frogs
covering recent taxonomic changes and very recent record lists that includes a large
proportion of the available data. Results show that the overall patterns seen in earlier
studies remain pretty much the same, but there are some new areas of richness not
previously recognised. Taking endemic species into consideration though, changes
the relative value of a landscape in regards to frog conservation and does identify
several areas in Australia that might be viewed as having much greater conservation
importance than previously identified. There may also be some insights into the
debate over to the origins and speciation patterns of Australia’s hylids and
myobatrachids.

Recent Publications
Fitzgerald, M., Shine, R. and Lemckert, F. (2004). Life history attributes of a
threatened Australian snake Hoplocephaplus stephensi (Elapidae). Biological
Conservation 119: 121-128.
Fitzgerald, F., Shine, R., Lemckert, F. and Towerton, A. (2005). Habitat
requirements of the threatened snake species Hoplocephalus stephensii (Elapidae)
in eastern Australia. Austral Ecology 30: 465-474.
Green, M., Thompson, M. B. and Lemckert, F. L. (2004). The effects of suspended
sediments on the tadpoles of two stream-breeding and forest dwelling frogs,
Mixophyes balbus and Heleioporus australiacus. Pp 713-720 In: Conservation of
Australia’s Forest Fauna II. D. Lunney (Ed). Royal Zoological Society of NSW,
Sydney.
Kavanagh, R., Law, B. Lemckert, F., Stanton, M., Chidel, M., Brassil, T., Towerton, A.
and Herring, M. (2004). Biodiversity in eucalypt plantings established to reduce
salinity. Unpublished Final Report to RIRDC. Project No.SFN-3A
Lemckert, F.L. (2004). Variations in anuran movements and habitat use:
implications for conservation. Applied Herpetology 1: 165-181.
Lemckert F. (2004). The biology and conservation status of the heath frog (Litoria
littlejohni). Herpetofauna 34: 99-104.
Lemckert, F.L. (2005). Body size of male common eastern froglets Crinia signifera
does not appear to influence mating success during explosive breeding events. Acta
Zoologica Sinica 51: 232-236.
Lemckert, F.L. (2005). Population structure, individual growth and survival of an
Australian frog Crinia signifera at a pond. Acta Zoologica Sinica 51: 393-400.
Lemckert, F.L. and Brassil, T. (2004). Movements and habitat use by the giant
burrowing frog, Heleioporus australiacus. Amphibia-Reptilia 24: 207-211.
Lemckert, F.L. and Slatyer, C. (2004). Herps in forests: schools to educate land
managers in their conservation. Pp 1055-1058 In: Conservation of Australia’s

Forest Fauna Second Edition. Ed. Dan Lunney. Royal Zoological Society of NSW,
Sydney.
Lemckert, F.L., Brassil, T. and Haywood, A. (2004). Effects of low intensity fire on
pond-breeding anurans in mid-northern New South Wales, Australia. Applied
Herpetology 1: 183-195.
Lemckert, F.L., Brassil, T.E. and Towerton, A. (2005). Native vegetation corridors in
exotic pine plantations provide long-term habitat for frogs. Ecological Management
and Restoration 6 (2): 132-134.
Frank Lemckert
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University of Newcastle
Mike Mahony continues his genetic analysis of various frog groups (working mostly
with Steve Donellan) and, with John Clulow, developing assisted reproductive
technologies to try and shore up the long-term futures of rare species. More new
species are heading our way, we just have to wait on the official publications.
Mike has a two new post-grad froggy types in his lab. One is Michelle Stockwell, who
is attempting to explain the pattern of decline in green and golden bell frogs (ie- loss
of inland populations) by looking at the relationship between chytrid infection and
pond salinity. The second is Luke Price, who continues the work starting in his
Honours year, looking at the taxonomy of the Litoria verreauxi species group in
particular and the Australian hylids in general. It looks as though there are several
more species hidden away and he’s going to find them. Could be a Litoria mahonyi
in there somewhere. However, he is considering migrating to Adelaide and working
directly with Steve Donnellan.

Mike also has an Honours student who will start work looking at the secret life of
Assa darlingtoni and why males do all the work and females have the easy time.
Karen Thumm has now finished her PhD and has been experiencing the surreal
'reality' of commercial consultancy for almost a year now. A paper playing with the
'issue' of 'egg size/clutch size' appeared in Herpetologica at the beginning of the year
and there is another about phenotypic plasticity and desiccation in red-crowned
toadlets coming out (soon?) in Amphibia-Reptilia. She presented a blow-by-blow
summary of 'diversified bet-hedging in the red-crowned toadlet' in Kangaroo Island at
the AWMS conference and is at present trying to find the time to tidy up and finish
bits from her thesis.
Trent Penman has finished harassing the giant burrowing frogs in the Eden region.
The study found the frogs are showing strong burrow site fidelity over several
seasons. These frogs also seem to be territorial in regards to their burrows in the
non-breeding habitat, which is the first time that such evidence has to been collected
for an anuran. Trent also tested the hypothesis that golf balls are good surrogate
frogs. The fate of the golf balls was uncertain, however the study indicated that
intensive, integrated logging is very likely to have a substantial short term impact on
resident populations of this species. This comes from the extensive disturbance to
the soil during such operations. Options for research into the medium to long term
impacts are currently being investigated. Outcomes of the PhD have led to the
development of a management plan for the species in the Eden region.
Harko Werkman is in the death throws of his PhD on stream breeding frogs in
forestry environments. He has been looking at population structures in various areas
of NSW to determine if this can be used as an indication of population health. The
drought has hindered some of his data collection, but he is getting some ideas
together that could be useful in the future. Several publications should arise from this
work shortly.

Recent Publications
Berger, L., Speare, R., Hines, H. B., Marantelli, G., Hyatt, A. D., McDonald., K. R.,
Skerratt, L. F., Olsen, V., Clarke, J. M., Gillespie, G., Mahony, M., Sheppard, N.,
Williams, C. and Tyler. M. J. (2004). Effect of Season and Temperature on Mortality
in Amphibians due to Chytridiomycosis. Australian Veterinary Journal 82: 434 - 439.
Donnellan, S. C. and Mahony, M. J. (2004). Allozyme, chromosomal and
morphological variability in the Litoria lesueuri species group (Anura: Hylidae)
including a description of a new species. Australian Journal of Zoology 52: 1–28.
Knowles, R., Mahony, M., Armstrong, J. and Donnellan, S. (2004). Systematics of
sphagnum frogs of the Genus Philoria (Anura: Myobatrachidae) in eastern Australia,
with the description of two new species. Records of the Australian Museum 56: 57-
74.
Penman, T., Lemckert, F. and Mahony, M. (2004). Two hundred and ten years of
looking for giant burrowing frog. Australian Zoologist 32: 597-604.
Penman, T.D., Mahony, M.J., Towerton, A.L. and Lemcket, F.L. (2005). Bioclimatic
analysis of disjunct populations of the giant burrowing Frog, Heleioporus australiacus.
Journal of Biogeography 32: 397-405.
Thumm, K., and Mahony, M. (2005). Is variable egg size the proximate cause of
diversified bet-hedging in the hatching dynamics of the red-crowned toadlet
(Pseudophryne australis)(Anura: Myobatrachidae). Herpetologica 61: 9-19.
Thumm K. and M. Mahony. (In Press). The effect of water level reduction on larval
duration in the red-crowned toadlet Pseudophryne australis (Anura: Myobatrachidae):
Bet-hedging or predictive plasticity? Amphibia-Reptilia.
Frank Lemckert
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Some news from SA.
Di Barton received a grant from the Mark Mitchell Foundation to study the
pentastome parasites of bearded dragons (Pogona spp.) in South Australia.
There have been two previous reports of pentastomes from P. barbata - both
from zoo specimens (one in London, the other in Sydney). Thus, the aim is to
see if she can find the pentastome in wild specimens. So far, dissections
of beardies from the Australian Museum and the South Australian Museum have
turned up no pentastomes. The lizard collection of the NT museum is next on
the list to be dissected.
A specimen from P. vitticeps has been found (in a vial on a shelf at the
back of the lab I work in) - this one from the wildlife park in Alice
Springs - but this is a different, and most likely new, species.
Thus, if you come across any fresh road-killed beardies (any species) once
spring arrives, PLEASE have a quick look in their lungs for pentastomes.
The pentastomes are about 1cm long (that is a large one), cream in colour
and could still be active if the lizard is fresh. If you find any, just drop
them in 70% ethanol with the collection info and send them to Di, care of
the Parasitology Section, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide,
SA, 5000.
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David Booth’s Lab at UQ:
News from Queensland
Master’s Student Cuong The Chu is working on the influence that variation of
incubation temperature has on locomotor performance of hatchling loggerhead
turtles. We is doing his field work at the Mon Repos turtle rookery, surveying the
range of incubation temperatures experienced during natural incubation, and
quantifying running and swimming performance of hatchlings emerging from nests
with different temperature profiles. During the 2006-2007 nesting season it is hoped
that a similar project will be extended to the green turtle rookery on Heron Island.
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Frog projects in the Hero lab at Griffith University Gold Coast in
2005
Acid Frog Research
• Dr Ed Meyer and Assoc. Prof. Jean-Marc Hero finalised a draft Acid Frog
Recovery Plan in June 2005.
• Abraham Mijares- Urrutia (from Venezuela) has started his PhD examining the
genetic and ecological diversity of the Acid Frogs throughout their range. The
focus of this project will be on L. freycinnetti and L. olongburensis. Field work
this summer will extend from Fraser Island to Jervis Bay.
Research at Tugun is continuing:
• Marama Hopkins is preparing a paper based on her Honours thesis examining
the characteristics of ponds that have calling L. olongburensis.
• Luke Grainger is finished his Honours thesis (1 st Class) examining the
characteristics of ponds that are successfully producing tadpoles and
metamorphs of L. olongburensis.

• All attempts to stop the Tugun Bypass and prevent the loss of habitat for the
threatened L. olongburensis and Crinia tinnula throughout 2004/2005 have
failed and the local extinction of L. olongburensis is probable.
Mixophyes Research
• Naomi Doak (~ alias Dr Doak) has submitted her PhD thesis, examining the
conservation genetics of Mixophyes species in SE Qld – NSW. She is now
preparing manuscripts for publication.
• Monitoring the Coomera River population (since 2000) is continuing.
• Assoc. Prof. Jean-Marc Hero has submitted a Water Grant Application to
fence and rehabilitate M. iteratus habitat along the Nerang River (this proposal
is for endorsement by the SQTFRT).
Climate Change Research
• Luke Shoo (~ alias Dr Shoo) has submitted his PhD thesis, and published
numerous papers on monitoring changes in abundance and predicting the
impacts of climate change on amphibians and birds in the Wet Tropics.
Golf Course Research
• Simon Hodgkison has submitted his PhD research on the ecological values of
Golf Courses in SE Qld. This project covers a range of vertebrate taxa and
frogs are an important component.
Forest Fragmentation Research
• Damian White is writing up his PhD research on the ecological values of
remnant Melaleuca and open Eucalyptus forest patches in the Gold Coast.
This project covers a range of vertebrate and invertebrate taxa and frogs are
an important component.
Pesticide Research
• Uli Bauer is continuing her PhD research on pesticide and frogs. Here target
chemical is Atrazine and she is tending towards Golf Courses for her field
research.
Chytrid Research
• Sonja Wapstra is finishing her Honours thesis examining chytrid prevalence in
the M. iteratus population on the upper Coomera River. Surprisingly, chytrid
prevalence is extremely low in this population.

• Kerry Kriger is continuing his PhD research examining the relationship
between altitude, latitude and chytrid prevalence. Prevalence results from the
field vary enormously across species, catchments and altitudes - and to date
there is no obvious pattern to explain them.
• Jean-Marc Hero is heading to Borneo in search of chytrid in the new year.
The lab is planning some new chytrid work this summer to understand the variability
in chytrid prevalence that we have found to date.
• Dr Monique Van Sluys a Senior Lecturer at the University of Rio de Janeiro
has joined the lab for 12 months sabbatical leave. We are currently planning
to continue with 3 projects in the coming 12 months:
1. Project 1. is to compare prevalence rates of 3 species on 2 adjacent
catchments over monthly periods.
2. Project 2. To execute a chytrid survey of stream dwelling frogs along a
longitudinal gradient (east to west) across southern Qld.
3. Project 3. Continue the current mark-recapture projects to look at
individual response to chytrid infection.
Taudactylus Husbandry Project
• Dr Ed Meyer and Assoc. Prof. Jean-Marc Hero have prepared a collaborative
research grant with QPWS and Fleays Fauna Sanctuary to develop
techniques for maintaining Taudactylus in captivity. Initially the project will
focus on T. liemi and will expand to include other species if successful.
PPBio Australasia Project
• Associate Professor Jean-Marc Hero is currently building a Consortium to
facilitate lon-term biodiversity monitoring and condition assessment.
• Watch this space …

Recent Publications from the Hero Lab
1. Kriger, K. M., H. B. Hines & J.-M. Hero. in press Techniques for Detecting
Chytridiomycosis in Wild Frogs: Comparing Histological with Real-Time
Taqman PCR. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms.
2. Hero, J.-M., C. Morrison, G. Gillespie, J.D. Roberts, D. Newell, E. Meyer, K.
McDonald, F. Lemckert, M. Mahony, W. Osborne, H. Hines, S. Richards, C.
Hoskin, J. Clarke, N. Doak & L. Shoo. in press. Overview of the conservation
status of Australian Frogs. Pacific Conservation Biology. Accepted 19 April
2005.
3. Hero, J.-M., N. Hamada & L. P. Shoo. in press. Reproductive and Population
Ecology of Four Species of Phyllomedusa in the Central Amazonian
Rainforest. Acta Amazonica. Accepted 18 April 2005
4. Shoo, L., S. Williams & J.-M. Hero. in press. Detecting climate change
induced range shifts: where and how should we be looking? Austral Ecology.
Accepted 22 March 2005
5. Schloegel, L., J.-M. Hero, L. Berger, R. Speare, K. McDonald & P. Daszak. in
press The decline of the sharp-snouted day frog (Taudactylus acutirostris):
The first documented case of extinction by infection in a free-ranging wildlife
species? Ecohealth.
6. Shoo, L. P. and Williams, Y., 2004. Altitudinal distribution and abundance of
microhyklid frogs (Cophixalus and Austrochaperina) of north-eastern Australia:
baseline data for detecting biological responses to future climate change.
Aust. J. Zool. 52:667-676.
7. Shoo, L., S. Williams & J.-M. Hero. 2005. Decoupling of trends in distribution
area and population size of species with climate change. Global Change
Biology. 11:1469–1476.
8. Hero, J.-M., S. E. Williams & W. E. Magnusson. 2005 Ecological
characteristics of Declining Amphibians: Are they more susceptible to
extinction? J Zoology Lond. 267:221-232.
9. Shoo, L., S. Williams & J.-M. Hero. 2005. Climate warming and the rainforest
birds of the Australian Wet Tropics: using abundance data as a sensitive
predictor of change in total population size. Biological Conservation.
125:335-343.

10. Rachowicz, L. J., J.-M. Hero, R. A. Alford, J. W. Taylor, J. A.T. Morgan, V. T.
Vredenburg, J. P. Collins, C. J. Briggs. 2005. The novel and endemic
pathogen hypotheses: competing explanations for the origin of emerging
infectious diseases of wildlife. Conservation Biology 19:1441-1448.
11. Kutt, A. S., J.E. Kemp, K.R. McDonald, Y. Williams, S.E. Williams, H. B. Hines,
J.-M. Hero & G. Torr. 2005. Vertebrate fauna survey of White Mountains
National Park in the Desert Uplands Bioregion, central-north Queensland.
Australian Zoologist. 33:17-38.
12. Hero J.-M. & C. Morrison. 2004. Frog Declines in Australia: global implications.
The Herpetological Journal. 14:175-186.
13. Hazell, D., J.-M. Hero and D. Lindenmayer & R. Cunningham. 2004. A
comparison of constructed and natural habitat for frog conservation in an
Australian agricultural landscape? Biological Conservation. 119:61-71.
14. Morrison, C., J.-M. Hero & J. Browning. 2004. Altitudinal variation in the age at
maturity, longevity and reproductive lifespan of anurans in subtropical
Queensland. Herpetologica 60:34-44.
Endangered
Frog
Research
Centre
Dr Jean-Marc Hero
Associate Professor in Vertebrate
Ecology
Centre for Innovative Conservation
Strategies
School of Environmental & Applied
Sciences
Griffith University
Gold Coast Campus
PMB 50 Gold Coast Mail Centre,
QLD 9726
Tel. 07 – 5552 8661
Fax 07 - 5552 8067
email: m.hero@griffith.edu.au