CSIRO Publishing Books Journals About Us Shopping Cart You are here: Journals > Australian Journal of Zoology   
Australian Journal of Zoology
  Evolutionary, Molecular and Comparative Zoology
 
Search
 
 
  Advanced Search
   

Journal Home
About the Journal
Editorial Board
Contacts
Content
Online Early
Current Issue
Just Accepted
All Issues
Special Issues
Sample Issue
For Authors
General Information
Notice to Authors
Submit Article
Open Access
For Referees
General Information
Review Article
Annual Referee Index
For Subscribers
Subscription Prices
Customer Service

 Early Alert
Subscribe to our Email Alert or RSS feeds for the latest journal papers.

 Connect with us
facebook   youtube

 Zool. Suppl. Series
All volumes of the Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series are online and available to subscribers of Australian Journal of Zoology.

 

Article << Previous     |     Next >>   Contents Vol 53(4)

Structure and dynamics of a rainforest frog (Litoria genimaculata) population in northern Queensland

Stephen J. Richards A B C, Ross A. Alford A

A School of Tropical Biology and Rainforest Cooperative Research Centre, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia.
B Present address: Vertebrates Department, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: richards.steve@saugov.sa.gov.au
 
PDF (459 KB) $25
 Export Citation
 Print
  


Abstract

We studied a population of the rainforest frog Litoria genimaculata over a 7-year period at Birthday Creek, an upland rainforest stream in northern Queensland. Estimated population size on a 60-m transect fluctuated seasonally, decreasing to zero during most winters and reaching a maximum of over 130 during most warmer spring and summer months with an influx of young adult males. Summer population estimates were much smaller during 1990–93, coinciding with the disappearance of two sympatric species. However the L. genimaculata population subsequently recovered to pre-‘decline’ levels. Females were rarely captured along the stream so the operational sex ratio of adult frogs was strongly biased in favour of males (overall sex ratio 1 : 0.04). Sexual dimorphism in this species is extreme. The mean weight of gravid females (23.35 g) was nearly five times that of males (4.68 g) and the ratio of female SVL to male SVL was 1.65. Reproductive and fat-body condition changed seasonally, with males reaching peak reproductive condition in late spring and summer when population densities were greatest. Our data suggest that Litoria genimaculata uses Birthday Creek largely or exclusively as a reproductive habitat. The extent to which this species uses habitats away from stream environments remains to be determined.

   
Subscriber Login
Username:
Password:  

    


 
Top  Email this page
 
Legal & Privacy | Contact Us | Help

CSIRO

© CSIRO 1996-2012