''Myobatrachus'' is a genus of
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
s found in
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
. It is
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
, being represented by the single species, ''Myobatrachus gouldii'', also known as the turtle frog. It has a small head, short limbs, and a round body, up to long.
Habitat
The turtle frog is found in between Geraldton and
Fitzgerald River
The Fitzgerald River is a river in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Surveyor General John Septimus Roe named the river during expeditions in the area in 1848 after the governor of Western Australia of the day, Charles Fitzge ...
in the
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
region, Western Australia.
This area is mainly semi-arid, so the frogs have adapted to suit this region. They have developed short muscular limbs to help them dig into the sand but, unlike most frogs, they dig forward, like a
turtle
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...
. They feed on
termite
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
s so the adaptation of the muscular limbs is useful when trying to penetrate a termite mound. They do not need to live near standing pools of water, as they undergo the entire metamorphosis stage within their eggs. Their closest relatives, among the few who share most of the turtle frogs traits, are
sandhill frogs and
forest toadlets.
Mating
Mating generally occurs recently after it has rained, but their call has been heard during July as well, suggesting variating mating seasons. When a pair of turtle frogs select each other as mates, they retire to the base of their burrow. Burrows may be as much as 1.3 metres deep. Breeding takes place within the burrow several months later. When the females lay eggs, they lay up to 50, and each can measure 7.5 mm in diameter.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q2217336
Myobatrachidae
Amphibians of Western Australia
Amphibians described in 1841
Frogs of Australia
Monotypic amphibian genera
Endemic fauna of Southwest Australia