Yellow spotted bell frog release

Twenty yellow spotted bell frogs have been released into the Mulloon Creek environment by staff from Taronga Zoo. This species of frog is currently extinct in the Southern Tablelands due to the chytrid virus and has only survived through a breeding program in captivity at Taronga Zoo. Luckily, the habitat resulting from our repair and rehydration work along Mulloon Creek at the Home Farm, has been identified as the perfect habitat for this species hence the zoo’s decision to choose our farm as the location for the first release in the wild.

What a wonderful endorsement of what we have created in repairing and rehydrating the Mulloon Creek landscape. We knew from our previous frog survey the variety of frog species that have adopted the creek as their home. Having a species that previously could only exist in the control of captivity released here is icing on the cake. Staff from Taronga Zoo will be monitoring the frogs’ movement for a couple of weeks using tiny radio trackers that have been affixed to them. All things going well more frogs and breeding pairs will be released in the coming months.

Science Advisory Council Chairman Stephen Dovers commented that this frog is a “neophyte”, new to this environment. Thus, Neophyte November!

Michael McFadden (Taronga Zoo - Herpetofauna Dept) and Dave Hunter (NSW Dept of Environment - Threatened Species) with yellow spotted bell frogs prior to release