The tiny Pilbara toadlet (''Uperoleia saxatilis'')) is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-frog" ''Triadobatrachus'' is ...

in the family Myobatrachidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the arid

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a g ...

region of Australia. It is a burrowing frog and is found in rocky gorges and creeks in the Pilbara following

cyclonic In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...

rains. The species name ''saxatilis'' means "rock-dwelling".

Description

They are only about long with small

limb Limb may refer to: Science and technology *Limb (anatomy), an appendage of a human or animal *Limb, a large or main branch of a tree *Limb, in astronomy, the curved edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body, e.g. lunar limb *Limb, in botany, ...

s and a narrow snout. They have large glands and their toes have extensive webbing. They are brown with darker spotting and red femoral patches. They eat

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 Blatto ...

s and small

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...

s they find underground. Males sit in the rocks in places where "they can amplify and direct their call to the females". Their closest relative is thought to be the

mole toadlet The mole toadlet (''Uperoleia talpa'') is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Western Australia. Its natural habitats are dry savanna and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland A grassland is an area whe ...

(''Uperoleia talpa''), which looks very similar but has a higher-pitched and more intense call.

Discovery

The Pilbara toadlet was recently identified as a new species through DNA analysis by researchers from the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies an ...

(ANU) in Canberra, and the

Western Australian Museum The Western Australian Museum is a statutory authority within the Culture and the Arts Portfolio, established under the ''Museum Act 1969''. The museum has six main sites. The state museum, now known as WA Museum Boola Bardip, officially re-ope ...

and

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilitie ...

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 i ...

to differentiate between frog species that look very similar. A doctoral candidate from the ANU, Renee Catullo, said: "The good news is that it appears to be secure from a

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

perspective ... Toadlets are native to Australia and this new species brings the total number to 27, the second-largest group of frog species in the country."Tiny toad found in Australian desert
UPI.com (26 July 2011). Retrieved 2 January 2013. The discovery was part of a research project that uses genetic analysis to try to understand the true number of species of toadlets, as DNA can be used to differentiate between very similar species. "They tell themselves apart by their different calls, but we're not so good at that", Catullo said.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5979024 Uperoleia Amphibians of Western Australia Pilbara Amphibians described in 2011 Frogs of Australia