Australian Amphibians - frogs

Frogs are the only remaining amphibians in Australia. Frog eggs are mainly laid in water and their larval stage as tadpoles have developed tails and internal gills adapted to life underwater. As they mature into adult frogs, they develop lungs and live in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

Frogs play a key role in many food webs, both as predators and as prey. Because of their intermediate position in food webs, their permeable skin and biphasic lives (living in water and on land), frogs are a good ecological indicator of the environment. By observing frog populations, we can get a good indication of ecosystem health as frogs are sensitive to environmental change.

Habitat loss, climate change and pollution are large causes of declining frog populations around the world. Frog populations in Australia are declining at an alarming rate.

Learn what you can do to help conserve frog populations in Australia through the Museum's national citizen science project- FrogID.

Can you help us conserve Australia's frogs?


Frog Factsheets

41 Fact Sheets in this section

Download the FrogID Mobile App

FrogID is a national citizen science project that is helping us learn more about what is happening to Australia’s frogs. Download the FrogID app and you can discover which frogs live around you and help us count Australia's frogs!

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Collection information


Tree frogs image gallery

Tree frogs (Family Hylidae) can vary greatly in both form and behaviour. Two Sydney residents, the Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) and the Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) are good examples of this diversity.