#rheobtrachus

[herpsandbirds]

Southern Gastric Brooding Frog (Rheobatrachus silus), family Myobtrachidae, found in the Blackall Range and Conondale Ranges in southeast Queensland, north of Brisbane, Australia

EXTINCT.

First discovered by western science in 1972 (possibly 1914), the last wild specimen was encountered in 1981, and the last captive specimen died in 1983.

The cause(s) for decline and extinction are unclear, but may include introduced species, habitat degradation, and the Chyrtrid fungus.

There is a project currently working to clone this frog. They have only been successful, so far, in cloning an embryo.

Females would swallow fertilized eggs, and brood them and tadpoles in her stomach. The metamorphosed froglets would emerge from her mouth later on.

There is considerable disagreement as to which family they should be included in (with some herpetologists putting the 2 species of Rheobatrachus into their own family).

photographs by AU Images and Michael Tyler