List of amphibians of New Zealand
All of the amphibians of New Zealand are either from the Leiopelma genus endemic to the country or are one of the introduced species, of which three are extant. Pepeketua is the eponymized Māori word.[1][2][3]
Unique characteristics
Members of the genus Leiopelma exhibit a number of basal traits that separate them from most other species. These traits include: vestigial tail-wagging muscles, cartilaginous inscriptional ribs, the presence of amphicoelous vertebrae, and nine presachral vertebrae (most frogs have eight). In addition, Leiopelma lack external ear drums and produce only limited vocalizations.
Species
Native
| Scientific name | Image |
|---|---|
| Archey's frog, Leiopelma archeyi | 
|
| Hamilton's frog, Leiopelma hamiltoni | 
|
| Hochstetter's frog, Leiopelma hochstetteri |
|
| Maud Island frog, Leiopelma pakeka | 
|
| Aurora frog, Leiopelma auroraensis | EX |
| Markham's frog, Leiopelma markhami | |
| Waitomo frog, Leiopelma waitomoensis |
Introduced
| Scientific name | Image |
|---|---|
| Green and golden bell frog", Litoria aurea | 
|
| Growling grass frog", Litoria raniformis | 
|
| Southern brown tree frog", Litoria ewingii | 
|
| Australian green tree frog", Litoria caerulea | 
|
| Eastern banjo frog", Limnodynastes dumerilii | 
|
Conservation
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See also
References
- ^ pepeketua - Māori Dictionary http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/word/5496
- ^ 09 October 2012 http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/blogs/in-our-nature/7787401/Our-fascinating-frogs
- ^ Ryan, Paddy. "Frogs in New Zealand". Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
Further reading
- D.G. Newman (1996). "Native frog (Leiopelma ssp.) recovery plan" (PDF). Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.
External links
- New Zealand Frog Conservation Biology - research on New Zealand frog biology
- New Zealand Frog Research Group - information and resources on frog conservation from the University of Otago
- EcoGecko - New Zealand herpetology consultant/research
- Frogs at the Department of Conservation