Philoria knowlesi is known to breed in the spring and early summer, using bogs, banks of headwater streams and seepages as breeding grounds.
A new species of mountain frog has been discovered in the rainforests of the New South Wales/Queensland border of Australia. It was discovered by researchers from the Southern Cross University, the University of Newcastle, CSIRO and the South Australian Museum.
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The frog, Philoria knowlesi is known only to exist in the Gondwana Rainforest of Australia World Heritage Area’s upland rainforests along the NSW/QLD border. It varies in coloration and pattern, according to a news release put out by Southern Cross University. It is known to breed in the spring and early summer, using bogs, banks of headwater streams and seepages as breeding grounds. The researchers say the males create breeding chambers in which the tadpoles use as a development location.
“The rainforests of Mt Barney National Park in Queensland and the adjacent Mt. Nothofagus National Park in New South Wales have special significance in the evolution of Australia’s biota and this is why they are enshrined as part of the Gondwana Rainforest of Australia World Heritage Area,” Dr. David Newell of Southern Cross University said in the news release.
“This new species of frog belongs to a lineage only found in upland rainforest communities. There are currently seven known species of mountainfrog, six of which are found only in the Gondwana rainforest area. Most are confined to the very headwaters of mountain streams and a key threat to their survival is climate change. As these habitats warm, these frogs literally will have nowhere else to go,” Dr. Newell said.
Other potential threats to Philoria knowlesi include the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis and feral pigs.
The frog was named after Australian environmentalist Ross Knowles, who is known in the scientific community for his work with Australian frog species.
An abstract of the paper describing Philoria knowlesi, “A new species of Philoria (Anura: Limnodynastidae) from the uplands of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area of eastern Australia” can be read on the Mapress website.
