Sunset Frog
Spicospina flammocaerulea
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 4/07/2019
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 18/11/2021
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 Sunset Frog is a black or very dark grey frog growing to 35 mm. It has bright reddish-orange hands and feet as well as orange patches below the anus and margins to jaws and a bright orange throat. No reliable data on the population size of the Sunset Frog is available but it is a habitat specialist.
Threats
An extremely small geographic range makes the Sunset Frog particularly susceptible to local catastrophes. An apparent decline in frog numbers at one locality following wildfires in 1994 suggests a possible risk from fire. Disease is also a possible threat with Chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease affecting amphibians worldwide.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
22
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:
> 5yrs and < 10yrs
< 100
One
3 - 5yrs
DCCEEW - Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
SPRAT - DCCEEW Species Profile and Threats Database