The magnificent brood frog or magnificent broodfrog (''Pseudophryne covacevichae'') is a species 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 ...

in the family

Myobatrachidae Myobatrachidae, commonly known as Australian ground frogs or Australian water frogs, is a family of frogs found in Australia and New Guinea. Members of this family vary greatly in size, from species less than long, to the second-largest frog in ...

. 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 elsew ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia, and is known from near

Ravenshoe Ravenshoe ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Ravenshoe had a population of 1,400 people. Geography Ravenshoe is on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland. It is located south w ...

in the southern

Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...

and from Mount Spec in the Paluma Range. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

''covacevichae'' honours

Jeanette Covacevich Jeanette Adelaide Covacevich (1945–2015) was a herpetologist in Queensland, Australia. As a senior curator of vertebrates at the Queensland Museum, she discovered and studied many reptiles and frogs in Queensland. Covacevich is most famous f ...

, an Australian herpetologist.

Taxonomy

Prior to its description in 1994, ''Pseudophryne covacevichae'' was confused with '' Pseudophryne major'', a more southern species that breeds in winter while ''P. covacevichae'' breeds in summer. The finding of ''P. covacevichae'' in the Paluma Range in 2013 reduces the geographic separation of these species. Moreover, summer breeding ''P. major'' are also known. This suggests that the distinctness of these species needs reassessment.

Description

''Pseudophryne covacevichae'' measure in

snout–vent length Snout–vent length (SVL) is a morphometric measurement taken in herpetology from the tip of the snout to the most posterior opening of the cloacal slit (vent)."direct line distance from tip of snout to posterior margin of vent" It is the most c ...

. The dorsum has bright rufous brown to yellow ground colour. There are diffuse, black paravertebral lines. The

cloaca In animal anatomy, a cloaca ( ), plural cloacae ( or ), is the posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles and birds, a ...

is surrounded by a large yellow patch that continues upwards as a thin, yellow vertebral line. The flanks are black, sometimes suffused with white or grey. The dorsal surface of the upper arm is bright yellow. The venter is marbled in black and white. The upper half of the iris is yellow to gold in adults.

Habitat and conservation

''Pseudophryne covacevichae'' occurs around seepage areas in open eucalypt forests at elevations above . Males call from seepage areas at the base of grass tussocks on wet summer and autumn nights, sometimes also during overcast days. The eggs are laid on moist soil in or near seepages. Males typically guard the eggs. After hatching, the

tadpole A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found i ...

s make their way down the seepage or are washed into first-order streams to continue their development in small pools. This species is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and degradation caused by activities such as grazing, logging, road works, clearing, and development. The discovery of ''P. covacevichae'' in the Paluma Range suggests that it is more widespread than previously thought.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2245726 Pseudophryne Frogs of Australia Amphibians of Queensland Endemic fauna of Australia Amphibians described in 1994 Taxa named by Glen Joseph Ingram Taxonomy articles created by Polbot