Baw Baw Frog
Philoria frosti
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since: 4/07/2019
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Critically Endangered
Listed since: 7/06/2021
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: No other names
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The Baw Baw Frog is a medium sized frog restricted entirely to the Baw Baw Plateau, located approximately 120 km east of Melbourne, Victoria. The Baw Baw Frog is a habitat specialist.
Threats
The lack of information available on the population dynamics and demography of the Baw Baw Frog makes it is very difficult to interpret the observed decline in the adult male population, however coincides with a recent global phenomenon of declining amphibians, and perhaps of more concern, with the reported decline of species restricted to mountain-top and alpine environments in Australia. The role of chytrid fungus in the decline of the Baw Baw Frog is not known.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
23
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.
Average life span:
Number of young produced each year:
Number of breeding events each year:
Minmum sexual maturity age:
> 2yrs and < 5yrs
< 100
Unknown
1 - 2yrs
DCCEEW - Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
SPRAT - DCCEEW Species Profile and Threats Database