PARTICLE 101: TURTLE FROGS

Two achromatic beady eyes. A short rounded head. Four stumpy legs and a look only a mother (or a herpetologist) could love. Meet nan turtle frog!

Endemic to nan Perth region of WA, nan turtle frog (Myobatrachus gouldii) is simply a small, chubby and utterly adorable frog that’s afloat of evolutionary surprises.

TEENAGE MUTANT NAKED TURTLE

Discovered successful 1841, nan turtle frog was named aft its shell-less turtle-like appearance.

With plump bodies and stout small legs, they’re correct astatine location waddling crossed nan sandy soils of the Banksia Woodlands.

Caption: Prime turtle frog existent estate
Credit: Banksia heathland by Laurent Marsol CC BY-SA 3.0

But it’s their faces that really bargain nan show – pinch those mini eyes and cartoonish smile, they could beryllium Jabba nan Hutt’s miniature cousin.  

MOIST, UNBOTHERED, IN THEIR LANE, FLOURISHING

Turtle frogs are monotypic, meaning location is nary different type for illustration them. They are nan only members of nan Myobatrachus genus and diverged from their closest comparative astir 10 cardinal years agone during nan Miocene.

The dry, harsh cycles of this clip and nan ancient, worn-out soils of WA turned nan region into an evolutionary playground. This pushed amphibians to create immoderate of their weirdest and astir awesome adaptations to survive.

The South West of WA became a global biodiversity hotspot. Over 80% of nan frog type successful this region aren’t recovered anyplace other connected nan planet.

Caption: Unlike different burrowing frogs, turtle frogs usage their forearms to dig
Credit: Myobatrachus gouldii (lateral view) by Stephen Zozaya CC BY 2.5

YES, DIGGITY

Built for illustration a mini bulldozer, turtle frogs don’t hop for illustration different frogs. Instead, they were calved to excavation and walk astir of their clip underground.

While astir burrowing frogs usage their hind legs to shimmy backwards into their burrows, turtle frogs usage their wide shoulders and muscular forearms to passageway headfirst into nan sand.

Who moreover needs nan gym erstwhile you person soil hills to burrow through?

TADPOLES? FROGET ABOUT IT!

The turtle frog making love segment involves plentifulness of digging and not overmuch romance.

After a balmy summertime storm, eligible bachelors look from their burrows calling retired to find a mate.

Their calls sound for illustration personification stepping connected creaky floorboards – sexy. If a female likes what she hears, she will excavation underneath nan antheral until they are locked successful a sandy embrace.

Once coupled up, they burrow up to 1.5 metres underground wherever they stay together for a fewer months until it’s mating time.

Caption: The sandy wall of a turtle frog
Credit: Ross McGibbon @ross_mcgibbon_photography

Females will laic a clutch of 5 to 50 eggs, nestled among nan moist sand.

Most frogs spell done metamorphosis. The female will laic eggs into a assemblage of h2o wherever they stay until tadpoles hatch and slow morph into afloat formed frogs.

This is simply a very energy-intensive process that requires plentifulness of h2o for tadpoles to win successful their quest to go frogs.

Turtle frogs person skipped this shape altogether and emerge from nan ovum arsenic afloat formed froglets.

This leapfrog improvement is cleanable for life successful a residence wherever h2o is scarce.

Caption: The emblematic frog life rhythm – turtle frogs, however, acquisition nonstop development, meaning they skip nan tadpole phases (a, b, c, d) wholly and hatch from an ovum afloat formed (e)
Credit: Public Domain

BEFORE THEY CROAK IT

As nan satellite heats up and cities spread, turtle frogs are becoming much susceptible to predominant bushfires and municipality development.

Preserving areas of nan Banksia Woodlands that person remained unburnt for extended periods whitethorn beryllium important to support patient turtle frog populations.

So if you excavation turtle frogs aliases are still funny astir these quirky amphibians, download nan FrogID app and grounds their calls connected your adjacent bush walk.

Your efforts thief researchers way populations, understand residence usage and advocator for amphibian conservation.

Turtle frogs are perfectly adapted for life beneath nan soil – and continued investigation will thief guarantee they enactment there.