Identifying translocation sites for the Critically Endangered northern corroboree frog

Date: 08, Sep, 2021
Author(s): Ben Scheele   Emily Hoffmann   David Lindenmayer  

The chytrid fungus pathogen has driven severe declines of amphibian diversity globally. In Australia, over 40 species have experienced declines. The Critically Endangered northern corroboree frog is at high risk of extinction, primarily due to chytrid fungus. However, in some sites, the frogs appear to be coexisting with chytrid. Corroboree frogs have been successfully reproducing in captivity, and captive-bred frogs provide a source for experimental translocations into the natural environment, to seed and supplement new wild populations. We found that certain environmental variables and frog maturation rates are strongly related to the frog population’s ability to coexist with chytrid fungus. We identified habitats that may be used for a translocation trial, and our methods used to identify this site may be useful for other similarly threatened frog species.