Fun Corroboree Frog Facts For Kids

If you are fascinated by frogs, then here we have the corroboree frogs. The southern corroboree frog, scientific name Pseudophryne corroboree, and northern corroboree frog, Pseudophryne pengilleyi, are two species of corroboree frogs endemic to Australian sub-alpine snowy mountains, forests, and national parks. The conservation status of the two species of corroboree frogs is deemed as Endangered and Critically Endangered. They are considered two of Australia's most endangered species. The frogs are poisonous in nature and unique in the sense that they have the ability to develop the poison in their body and not because of their diet.

The breeding season of the frogs comes around January-March, and males gather around breeding sites to build burrows. The female lays 10-40 eggs, and after fertilization by the male, the eggs hatch after around 4-6 months. The tadpoles take 6-8 months to develop. The tadpoles grow about 1.2 in (3 cm) in length.

For more relatable content, check out these tree frog facts and African bullfrog facts for kids.

What type of animal is a corroboree frog?

Corroboree frog is a type of frog that is endemic to Australia.

What class of animal does a corroboree frog belong to?

The corroboree frog belongs to the class Amphibia of animals.

How many corroboree frogs are there in the world?

There are two different corroboree frog species that are known to exist. The population of the southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) is known to be less than 250 mature frogs in the wild. The exact population of the northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi) is not known. Corroboree frog population, for both species, has a decreasing population trend.

Where does a corroboree frog live?

These frogs are only found in Australia. The geographical distribution of the two species differs. The northern corroboree frogs were found in three geographical ranges - around Brindabella Ranges of the Namadgi National Park, around Wee Jasper State Forest, Micalong State Forest, and Bondo State Forest of New South Wales, and around Bogong Peaks and Fiery Range of the Kosciuszko National Park. At the same time, the southern corroboree frogs were only found around the Kosciuszko National Park, from the Maragle Range in the north to the Smiggin Holes of the south. This geographical range of the frogs has significantly decreased over the years.

What is a corroboree frog's habitat?

The Australian corroboree frog habitat includes the sub-alpine habitat of the Snowy Mountains of Australia. The frogs have two kinds of habitats - breeding habitat and feeding habitat. During the breeding season, these frogs are seen in water bodies that have dried up, usually sphagnum sedges, bogs, seepage, or bog pools. Other times, they move about 984 ft or 300 m around their breeding areas and find moist rocks, heath, logs, or dense litter to stay in or feed.

Who do corroboree frogs live with?

These frogs are not social or solitary, to say in the traditional manner. The frogs live within close ranges of each other and only come together when the breeding season arrives.

How long does a corroboree frog live?

The corroboree frogs are known to live for about nine years.

How do they reproduce?

The corroboree frog breeding season occurs around January-March. The frogs become sexually mature at the age of about three years. The adult male arrives at the breeding sites beforehand to make a burrow. These sites differ according to the two species. The northern corroboree frogs make burrows in seepage pools at low altitudes or bog pools in high altitudes. In comparison, the southern corroboree frogs make burrows in sphagnum bogs, sedges. The male then sings a squelching song to attract the females. The females deposit 10-40 eggs, and the males fertilize them. The male stays with the eggs for the next 2-4 weeks taking care of them. The eggs hatch at about 4-6 months. The tadpoles take 6-8 months to develop.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the northern corroboree frog according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is listed as Endangered, and for the southern corroboree frog, it is listed as Critically Endangered.

What do corroboree frogs look like?

Corroboree frogs are small-sized frogs, like the granular poison frogs. These frogs have eye-catching patterns of bright yellow and black stripes. The two species are distinguishable by the stripes and patterns on their back, sides, and limbs. The northern corroboree frogs have a greenish hue on their body. The belly on the frogs is patterned with yellow, black, and white.

How cute are they?

These frogs might look extremely cute owing to the charming corroboree frog appearance. They have beautiful brightly colored patterns on their body.

How do they communicate?

These frogs communicate vocally and chemically. The corroboree frog sound is a squelching one, which the males use to attract the females. They also secrete a kind of poison from their skin as a defense against corroboree frog predators.

How big is a corroboree frog?

Corroboree frog size is about 0.9-1.2 in (2.2-3 cm). They are 2-4 times smaller than leopard frogs, who are about 2-5 in (5-12 cm) in size.

How fast can a corroboree frog move? 

The speed at which a corroboree frog moves is not known, but they move at a quick pace.

How much does a corroboree frog weigh?

These are small frogs. The exact weight of these frogs is not known due to a lack of research on the species.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The males or the females of the species have no specific names.

What would you call a baby corroboree frog?

Babies of a corroboree frog are known as larvae or tadpoles.

What do they eat?

These frogs are carnivorous in nature. The corroboree frog diet consists of small insects, like ants or termites. These frogs wait for their prey in hiding rather than hunt for them.

How far can they jump?

These frogs don't prefer to jump. They rather walk more. They might jump if they feel threatened or are attacked, but otherwise, walking is their preferred way of movement.

Would they make a good pet?

These frogs are endemic to Australia, and in the country, they are not included in any list of any state as licensed pets. Hence, they cannot be kept as pets, but they are kept in zoos for captive breeding to increase the population of the frogs.

Did you know...

Corroboree frogs battle a disease called Chytrid fungus. Chytrid fungus is a kind of disease that has been affecting the lives and populations of frogs worldwide. Frogs don't die quickly due to the Chytrid fungus, so this disease spreads more within the population. Chytrid fungus mainly spreads through contact between the frogs or through the water.

The corroboree frog pronunciation might seem a little difficult due to its root in the aboriginal language. The phonetic pronunciation of the word corroboree is 'kuh-rob-uh-ree'.

How did the corroboree frog get its name?

The word 'corroboree' means a gathering or meeting of the Australian aboriginal people. In these meetings, the people often came bedecked with white markings on themselves. The corroboree frogs have similar black and yellow markings. This is where they got their name.

Types of corroboree frogs

There are two types of corroboree frogs - the northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi) and the southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). The two species can be distinguished by their color patterns and geographical range.

Are corroboree frogs poisonous?

Yes, they are poisonous. They are the only species of frogs who have the ability to produce the poison they need to defend themselves in their body. Other poison frog species get the poison from their diet, but the corroboree frog poisonous trait is unique in this manner.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other amphibians from our pool frog facts and blue poison dart frog facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable frog coloring pages.