Wollumbin pouched frog

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Wollumbin pouched frog
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Myobatrachidae
Genus: Assa
Species:
A. wollumbin
Binomial name
Assa wollumbin
Mahony, Hines, Mahony, Moses, Catalano, Myers, and Donnellan, 2021

Assa wollumbin, the Wollumbin pouched frog or Mount Wollumbin hip-pocket frog, is a species of small, terrestrial frog endemic to New South Wales, Australia. It is restricted to the slopes of Mount Warning (Wollumbin), where it inhabits rainforest habitat. [2] [3]

Previously considered a population of the pouched frog (A. darlingtoni), which was thought to be the only species in the genus, it was described as a new species in 2021 following a rangewide genetic analysis of A. darlingtoni, which found the Wollumbin population to be sufficiently genetically distinct; it is also physically smaller than A. darlingtoni. Despite its distinctiveness, it is separated from populations of A. darlingtoni by only 15 kilometres (9.3 mi); in relation to the ancient Tweed Volcano, A. darlingtoni inhabits the former caldera wall while A. wollumbin inhabits the former volcanic plug that is now Mt. Wollumbin. [4] As with A. darlingtoni, it shares the unusual parental care where male individuals carry developing tadpoles in subcutaneous pouches on their hips. [3] [4] [5]

As of September 2023, it was classified as "Critically Endangered" under the EPBC Act. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 Assa wollumbin, Species Profile and Threats Database, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia.
  2. ↑ "Assa wollumbin Mahony, Hines, Mahony, Moses, Catalano, Myers, and Donnellan, 2021". Amphibian Species of the World.
  3. 1 2 Mahony, Michael J.; Hines, Harry B.; Mahony, Stephen V.; Moses, Bede; Catalano, Sarah R.; Myers, Steven; Donnellan, Stephen C. (2021-10-26). "A new hip-pocket frog from mid-eastern Australia (Anura: Myobatrachidae: Assa)" . Zootaxa. 5057 (4): 451–486. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5057.4.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   34811197.
  4. 1 2 Mahony, Stephen (24 June 2022). "Unravelling the frog diversity of Gondwanan rainforests". The Australian Museum. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  5. ↑ "Assa wollumbin". www.frogid.net.au. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
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