Fletcher Frog

Details

The Fletcher Frog (Lechriodus fletcheri), also widely known as the Sandpaper Frog, is a medium-sized burrowing frog native to eastern Australia. It is adapted to life on the forest floor, spending much of its time hidden in soil and leaf litter near temporary pools and streams.

Taxonomy & Names

• English names: Fletcher Frog, Sandpaper Frog

• Scientific name: Lechriodus fletcheri

• Genus: Lechriodus

• Family (broad sense): Australian ground-dwelling frogs with burrowing habits

Appearance

The Fletcher Frog is not brightly coloured, but its features clearly reflect a burrowing lifestyle:

• Body size: adults are usually around 4–6 cm in length, with females generally larger than males;

• Dorsal colour: grey-brown, brown or olive-brown with darker mottling or cloud-like patches that blend      well with wet soil and leaf litter;

• Skin texture: the back feels slightly rough or granular, somewhat like fine sandpaper – the origin of      the name “Sandpaper Frog”;

• Head markings: a dark mask or stripe often runs from the eye back towards the eardrum and along the side      of the head;

• Belly: underside is pale grey or off-white, sometimes lightly speckled;

• Limbs: hind limbs are strong with partial webbing between the toes and a noticeable inner “metatarsal      tubercle” or digging spur used to scrape backwards into the soil.

Distribution & Habitat

The Fletcher Frog is endemic to eastern Australia:

• found mainly in higher rainfall regions of New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland;

• occurs from coastal and subcoastal areas into lower mountain forests and valleys.

It favours moist habitats with both water and suitable soils for burrowing:

• wet forests, rainforest edges, creek lines and swampy gullies;

• temporary pools and shallow depressions that fill after heavy rain;

• forest tracks, drainage lines and low-lying areas where water can accumulate seasonally.

Behaviour & Burrowing

The Fletcher Frog is a classic burrowing ground frog:

• during the day it usually remains in burrows, under logs, stones or deep in leaf litter to retain moisture and avoid predators;

• burrows are often dug into soft soil near potential breeding sites such as ephemeral pools;

• frogs emerge mainly at night, especially during and after rain, to forage and, in breeding season, to call and mate.

Call

Male Fletcher Frogs produce a low, somewhat grating call during the breeding season:

• calls are usually heard on rainy nights around temporary pools, puddles and slow-flowing creeks;

• the call is a short, low “crawk” or “growk” note repeated at intervals, sometimes forming a chorus with other males;

• because the frogs often call from within vegetation or near the water’s edge, they may be heard more often than seen.

Diet

The species feeds mainly on small invertebrates:

• ground-dwelling insects such as beetles, crickets, cockroaches and ants;

• spiders, slugs and other small arthropods and soft-bodied animals;

• it typically hunts at night, moving slowly across the forest floor or waiting in ambush for prey to pass by.

Breeding & Life Cycle

Breeding is closely linked to heavy rain and the presence of shallow, temporary water:

• breeding usually occurs in the warmer, wetter months and often follows substantial rainfall;

• males gather at temporary pools, flooded depressions and slow-flowing creek margins to call;

• females lay eggs in distinctive foamy egg masses that float on the surface or are attached in shallow water;

• tadpoles develop in these temporary waters and must complete metamorphosis before the pools dry out;

• after metamorphosis, the young frogs leave the water and adopt a burrowing, terrestrial lifestyle.

Conservation Status & Threats

On the IUCN Red List the Fletcher Frog is listed as Least Concern (LC), indicating that it currently has a relatively wide distribution and no evidence of rapid overall decline.

Nevertheless, local populations can be affected by:

• forest clearing, road construction and urban expansion that fragment habitat;

• drainage of wetlands and removal of small, temporary pools used for breeding;

• pollution and pesticide runoff impacting eggs and tadpoles.

Maintaining forest cover, protecting ephemeral wetlands and retaining natural leaf litter and soil structure are important for the long-term conservation of this and other ground-dwelling frogs.