Frogs of Australia

Regional guides

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Key guide to Victorian frogs

The Frogs of Victoria project is retained only for the great key guide. Work through a series of questions until, finally, your frog is identified.

Key guide

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Philoria frosti

Baw Baw Frog

+ 65 kb Baw Baw Frog (Philoria frosti)

Victoria's most restricted frog, the Baw Baw frog is only found at high altitudes on the Mount Baw Baw Plateau in eastern Victoria. Inhabiting a restricted and fragile environment this frog is threatened by development and intense use of the Baw Baw Plateau for recreational and forestry activities.

Distribution and habitat

Adults had, until recently, been thought to be restricted to alpine heath and grassland. They have now been found within the moist eucalypt forests which border the Plateau. Tadpoles are aquatic, in alpine bogs and seepages. Eggs may be spawned in saturated sphagnum bogs that later flood.

There is a detailed distribution map available for: Victoria.

Calling

Males call from the ground, concealed in wet cavities in sphagnum moss, and under fallen debris. The call is quite variable, a series of harsh pulsing notes with the first note often the longest - "Aaaark kruk kruk kruk".

Life cycle

Distinguishing characteristics

Philoria frosti Adult length: 42-55mm.
The unpigmented eggs numbering between 50 and 180 are spawned in a foam nest. Tadpoles carry large yolksacks and do not need to feed. They are also unpigmented with a yellow or pinkish appearance. Adults are characterised by having a large parotoid gland extending from behind each eye over the shoulder. They are dark and often have a highly pigmented smooth belly.

Similar species (note: this version was written for Victorian species).

Amongst Victorian frogs, only Uperoleia species have a large and well developed parotoid gland and the Baw Baw Frog may be distinguished from them by the absence of any metatarsal tubercles and by its larger size. Uperoleia have both an inner and outer metatarsal tubercle.