A frog not seen in the wild for 30 years has been spotted in an Australian stream.

Luke Pearce, a fisheries conservation officer in New South Wales, spotted a yellow spotted bell frog (Litoria castanea) while looking for endangered fish. He called up herpetologist David Hunter, who has confirmed the find (photos).

None of these frogs has been seen in the wild since around 1970s in New South Wales, and the IUCN’s Red List of endangered species has graded the animal ‘critically endangered’.

“There are no verified records of the northern population after 1975 and the last specimen to be placed in the museum was collected in 1973,” says the Red List. “The southern tablelands population suffered an extensive decline, with no confirmed records since 1980. It is not yet considered extinct because of the lack of surveys of potential habitat, especially in areas between the northern and southern populations.”

Australians are certainly excited about the ‘motorbike frog’, as this animal is known due to its call.

“I’m advised that finding this frog is as significant as discovering a Tasmanian tiger,” says Frank Sartor, the New South Wales minister for climate change and the environment (press release). “This discovery is a reminder of the need to protect the environment so future generations can enjoy the noise and colour of our native animals.”

Sartor is certainly a connoisseur of wildlife noises. Witness his impression of the bell frog…

Image: David Hunter