The striped burrowing frog (''Ranoidea alboguttata'') is a species of burrowing frog in the subfamily

Pelodryadinae Pelodryadinae, also known as Australian treefrogs (although not all members are arboreal), is a subfamily of frogs found in the region of Australia and New Guinea, and have also been introduced to New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a g ...

of the family

Hylidae Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as " tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semiaquatic. Taxonomy and ...

. It occurs throughout much of Australia, from northern

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, through eastern and northern

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

and into eastern

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. This species was once included in the genus ''

Litoria ''Litoria'' is a genus of Hylidae, hylid tree frogs, sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs. Description The species within the genus ''Litoria'' are extremely variable in appearance, behaviour, and habitat. The smallest s ...

'' or ''Cyclorana''.

Description

The female of this species grows up to in length and the male can reach an adult length of . It is brown, olive or green dorsally, with darker blotches. There is usually a pale yellow or yellow-green stripe down the back, and a dark streak runs from the snout, through the eye and the tympanum, breaking up down the flanks. This stripe has lateral

skin fold Skin folds or skinfolds are areas of skin that are naturally folded. Many skin folds are distinct, heritable anatomical features, and may be used for identification of animal species, while others are non-specific and may be produced either by in ...

above it. The backs of the thighs are dark, almost black, with large white, with some flecks brown on the throat and chest. The skin of the back has scattered

wart Warts are non-cancerous viral growths usually occurring on the hands and feet but which can also affect other locations, such as the genitals or face. One or many warts may appear. They are distinguished from cancerous tumors as they are caus ...

s and ridges. The belly is granular, but the throat and chest are smooth. The toes are half webbed. The tympanum is distinct.

Ecology and behaviour

''R. alboguttata'' lives in woodlands, grassy and cleared areas. It is usually only seen around temporary pools and water-filled

claypan Claypan is a dense, compact, slowly permeable layer in the subsoil. It has a much higher clay content than the overlying material, from which it is separated by a sharply defined boundary. The dense structure restricts root growth and water infiltra ...

s. The species is active by day and night. This frog is known to go through a period of

torpor Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables animals to survive periods of reduced food availability. The term "torpor" can refer to the ti ...

when resources are scant.

University of Queensland The University of Queensland is a Public university, public research university located primarily in Brisbane, the capital city of the Australian state of Queensland. Founded in 1909 by the Queensland parliament, UQ is one of the six sandstone ...

researchers have discovered that their cell metabolism changes during a dormancy period, allowing the frogs to maximize the use of their limited energy resources without depleting them completely.Society for Experimental Biology (2009, June 29). C. alboguttata has been noted to secrete highly acidic mucus as defence mechanism often causing terminal injury to predator. Obesity Clues From Research On How Burrowing Frogs Survive Years Without Food. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 1, 2009, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629081133.htm This discovery could prove to have important medical applications, particularly regarding

obesity Obesity is a medical condition, considered by multiple organizations to be a disease, in which excess Adipose tissue, body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it can potentially have negative effects on health. People are classifi ...

Reproduction

Males call from around the grassy edges of temporary pools and ditches. They are often heard by day, and usually seen only after heavy summer rain. The call is a rapid "quacking" made from the ground or shallow water and eggs are laid in clumps near the waters edge.

References

Frogs Australia Network - call available here
*Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney. *Barker, J.; Grigg, G.C.; Tyler, M.J. (1995). A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons. *Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney.

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28027467 Ranoidea (genus) Frogs of Australia Amphibians of New South Wales Amphibians of Queensland Amphibians of the Northern Territory Amphibians described in 1867 Taxa named by Albert Günther Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN

Description

Ecology and behaviour

Reproduction

See also

References

External links