Red-crowned Toadlet

Scientific name: Pseudophryne australis

Author(s)

FrogID Team
Updated

21/04/22
Read time

2 minutes

Red-crowned Toadlet (Pseudophryne australis) — A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a dark grey or dark brown back, with bright red or orange patches on the head and lower back. There is light grey on the sides, with several black patches or spots. The belly is a combination of black and white patches. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is dark brown and sometimes red in the top half. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs. Image: Jodi Rowley
© Australian Museum

Fast Facts

Classification

Genus

Pseudophryne

Species

australis

Family

Myobatrachidae

Order

Anura

Subclass

Lissamphibia

Subphylum

Vertebrata

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia
Size Range

3 cm

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a dark grey or dark brown back, with bright red or orange patches on the head and lower back. There is light grey on the sides, with several black patches or spots. The belly is a combination of black and white patches. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is dark brown and sometimes red in the top half. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs.

Similar Species

Does not look similar to any other species in its distribution.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as a small cluster on land under moist leaf litter and rocks and in small log holes, near temporary soaks and gutters. The nest is guarded by the male, as it is with other Pseudophryne species. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 3.5 cm, and are light or dark grey in colour, sometimes with dark spots. They are released into water bodies after the nest is flooded by rain, but will continue to develop inside the egg if it is too dry outside, therefore taking one to six months to develop into frogs once they hatch from the egg. Breeds during any time of the year after rain.