Frogs of Australia

Australia has 216 native frog species, of which 42 are currently threatened with extinction. An additional 8 species have already gone extinct, including the world's only gastric-brooding frogs (Rheobatrachus). These amazing frogs could actually shut down their gastric juices while rearing their young inside their stomachs! They therefore held great promise for advances in human medicine, as research on these frogs may have resulted in a cure for peptic ulcers, which affect 25 million people in the United States alone. Unfortunately, the gastric-brooding frogs vanished within a few years of being discovered by scientists. The health of humans and frogs is clearly intertwined.

There are no toads, salamanders, newts or caecilians native to Australia. However, an invasive cane toad (Bufo marinus) threatens frogs and other native fauna throughout the northern half of Australia. About 100 of these toads were brought to Australia in 1935, and now there are billions of them. They compete with native amphibians for food resources, and are toxic to virtually anything that tries to eat them.

Many of these photos are featured on the Frogs of Australia poster available in the FROG STORE. All proceeds go to SAVE THE FROGS! amphibian conservation projects. Get a free SAVE THE FROGS! bumper sticker with your purchase!

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