Unidentified Frog About to be Identified - I Hope

[Woko]

Hi there.
My wife & I are doing some ecological restoration on our property on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges in SA. As we're frog-unfamiliar we're keen to identify the occasional frog species we see or hear calling as our project matures. I'm hoping someone can give me the identity of the frog in the attachment along with any tips for restoring its habitat, assuming the frog is a local species.
The photo was taken on 24/9/14 & it was observed on some clay bricks next to our exterior house wall. Conditions have been very dry where we live since July so I was somewhat surprised to see this creature.
Also can someone explain the animal's bloated appearance. Pregnancy? Over indulging? Illness? Normal appearance?
Many thanks.

[tropicbreeze]

I'm not an expert so tried looking it up:

http://frogs.org.au/frogs/state/South_Australia/

Possibly Neobatrachus pictus. You can check it yourself to see what you think.

It has sand on it, so was possibly buried, arid region frogs often do that. They will also bloat themselves up with water to get them through dry periods. I'd suspect it didn't emerge voluntarily, probably dug up/disturbed.

[Woko]

Thanks for the idea, tropicbreeze. It's hard to tell. As well as the photo in the link you provided I've checked a few other photos of the Mallee Spadefoot Toad Neobatrachus pictus on the internet & none of them make me want to say "Yes. That's it". However, where I live is in the Mallee Spadefoot Toad range according to the map. Also, I live on the edge of the mallee.

The "sand" on the frog in my photo is probably grit from the clay pavers. Prior to photographing it I shifted it away from some mouse traps I'd set & I suspect it was during the shifting that it acquired the sand. I'm also wondering if the bloating of my frog might be causing it to appear different from the photos of Neobrachus pictus that I've looked at. But the bloating from water would be consistent with the very dry conditions we're currently experiencing here on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges SA.

[tropicbreeze]

Can you describe the circumstances and how you found it? Also, how did it respond to being moved, and what did it do afterwards?

[Woko]

Hi tropicbreeze. I remember it as being a mild, sunny day. Conditions were quite dry. The nearest moisture would have been about 3.5 m away around the base of a rainwater tank. I recall seeing the frog, unmoving, on the paver right at the corner of my house. At first I thought it was dead because it was bloated & not moving. When I touched it to see if it still had life it blinked. Because it was close to some mousetraps I'd set I decided to move it about 0.5 m from the traps in case it was killed in a trap. In my hand it felt quite flabby. It was virtually motionless, even when I put it down. After I photographed the frog it remained in position. I left it there because I prefer to allow native animals to make their own way unless they're in danger of being killed by a human or human device. Apart from my not seeing it since I don't know what happened to it.

[tropicbreeze]

Just my opinion but seems something was wrong. Out in the open, bloated (with water), not moving, and remaining motionless after being moved doesn't sound good. Will never know now but there's a possibilty it was removed by a predator. There's nothing nice and gentle about Mother Nature.

[Woko]

Yes, I think you're right, tropicbreeze. At the time I thought the frog might have been playing possum, so to speak, but following your posting about the bloating perhaps being caused by storing water I had wondered if the bloating was causing the frog's lassitude. Perhaps we'll never know. And, yes, Nature is cruel but never ceases to amaze me.

[Woko]

I contacted the South Australian Museum about this frog & received the swift reply that it's a Painted Frog, uncommon where I live on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges in SA. Information about the Painted Frog is at http://waterwatchadelaide.net.au/index. ... inted-frog.