{"id":10373,"date":"2026-02-22T11:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T11:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/?p=10373"},"modified":"2026-02-23T03:09:01","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T03:09:01","slug":"mountain-top-nursery-frog-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/mountain-top-nursery-frog-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Saving an endangered frog"},"content":{"rendered":"[mk_page_section bg_image=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/web-banner-lowland-rainforest-broadwater-dawe.jpg” bg_position=”center center” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” enable_3d=”true” min_height=”500″ js_vertical_centered=”true” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” section_id=”donate” el_class=”donate-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”70px”][mk_fancy_title font_family=”none” align=”center”]ENDANGERED AND IN NEED OF HELP[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”67″][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1761261235639{padding-right: 36px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_left”][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”15″ visibility=”visible-sm”][mk_padding_divider visibility=”visible-tl”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” el_class=”terrain-title-2″]SAVING THE MOUNTAIN-TOP NURSERY FROG[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider size=”60″ visibility=”hidden-nb”][mk_padding_divider size=”20″ visibility=”visible-nb”][vc_column_text el_class=”sub-head” css=”.vc_custom_1771469623527{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]FEBRUARY 2026[\/vc_column_text][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1771470876020{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]A tiny frog with a big problem has sparked a mountain-top rescue mission in Far North Queensland.<\/p>\n

Conservationists are working in dense rainforest near the summit of Mt Lewis, north of Cairns, to save the critically endangered mountain-top nursery-frog which is facing two challenges – feral pigs and a changing climate.<\/p>\n

The frog is roughly the size of a thumbnail and it lays eggs under leaf litter. It is only found in high-altitude cloud forests in Mt Lewis National Park near Julatten.<\/p>\n

Feral pigs a major threat<\/strong><\/p>\n

Terrain NRM\u2019s Dr Andrew Dennis says feral pig numbers appear to be increasing above 1,100 metres, based on the amount of disturbance being seen.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver time they\u2019ve slowly migrated upwards from the low altitude areas of the mountain,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn mountain-top nursery frog breeding sites up near the top of Mt Lewis, pigs are now digging up the ground and leaving bare soil where there was leaf litter and tree seedlings, and we\u2019ve observed them digging in the roots of the Linospadix apetiolatus palms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese tiny frogs breed in leaf litter. The males call from the palms, to project their voices to females. Eggs are laid in the leaf litter on the palm leaves or the ground. Where it\u2019s deep, it also holds a lot of food for them. But with pig disturbances, they are losing both breeding and feeding zones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Installing pig-exclosure fencing<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the answers is pig exclosure fencing. Terrain NRM has been working with Western Yalanji Traditional Owners and Gulf Savannah NRM to erect fences around 10 breeding sites in dense cloud forest near the top of the mountain. Now they\u2019re also working with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and James Cook University researchers, using frog-call monitors and regular habitat assessments to monitor these sites and rare frogs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBreeding season is generally from October-November to March,\u2019\u2019 Dr Dennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 10 fenced sites that exclude pigs and 10 control plots that aren\u2019t fenced and they\u2019re all about 60 metres apart so that calls from frogs at one plot shouldn\u2019t be heard at another.<\/p>\n

Audio recorders for population monitoring<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have audio recorders at each site to monitor calling activity and we\u2019re also regularly monitoring the habitat, measuring things like seedling and leaf litter density and any recovery of the Linospadix apetiolatus palms.<\/p>\n

\u201cPigs are churning up significant areas of this fragile habitat. We are measuring this as part of the project. On a wider scale, they\u2019re also a weed and water quality threat to a highly biodiverse area of the Wet Tropics at the headwaters of the Mitchell and Mossman River systems.\u201d<\/p>\n

Climate change a threat to frogs high up on Mt Lewis<\/strong><\/p>\n

At least five frog species have disappeared from the top of Mt Lewis in the past few decades, with three of them likely extinct worldwide. Dr Dennis said a fungal disease had been the main cause of their demise, but climate changes pose another threat to species at the high altitudes of ranges like Mt Lewis.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been visiting this region for well over 50 years. Walking in the cloud forest and around the creeks, it used to be noisy with frog calls day and night. Now it\u2019s noticeably a lot quieter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frog’s trill tells a sad story<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mountain-top nursery frog\u2019s trill is also diminishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cCalls were detected by researchers in 2003 at 1,100 metres. But 20 years later, in 2023, there were no calls at 1,100 metres. They were detected at 1,200 metres and above.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1563789122720{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 34px !important;}” el_class=”great_header_right”][mk_padding_divider size=”206″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”50″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_padding_divider size=”5″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1771470955736{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\"\"<\/strong>\u201cWith global warming and its related effects on weather, these frogs are retreating up the mountain and naturally the area they can occupy is shrinking as they abandon the lower reaches. It\u2019s also shrinking as pigs disturb the habitat. The highest points on the range are just over 1300 metres so there\u2019s not too far left to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Combining traditional knowledge with science<\/strong><\/p>\n

Western Yalanji Rangers say they\u2019re seeing the same changes on Country, with pig damage pushing higher into the cloud forest and frog calls becoming harder to hear.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve walked these mountain ridges for a long time and we can see where pigs are tearing up the leaf litter and the small palms the frogs need,\u201d Western Yalanji Ranger Nathaniel \u2018Archie\u2019 Levers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s noticeably quieter than it used to be, and the frogs seem to be hanging on higher up the mountain. Working together to fence and monitor these breeding places is about giving the habitat a chance to recover and keeping this little frog here for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fresh pig tracks were recently recorded at several of the frog breeding sites, highlighting the urgency of the current recovery work.<\/p>\n

Giving the species a chance to breed<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cBy keeping pigs out of these small patches of habitat, it gives this species a chance to breed and survive,\u201d Dr Dennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we consistently record more calling male frogs inside the enclosures, it could pave the way for broader conservation strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The mountain-top nursery-frog is a priority species in the Australian Government\u2019s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 and this project received grant funding from the Australian Government\u2019s Saving Native Species Program.<\/p>\n

FAST FACTS: MOUNTAIN-TOP NURSERY FROGS
\n(COPHIXALUS MONTICOLA)
\n<\/strong>
\nListed nationally as critically endangered<\/p>\n

One of the most range-restricted frogs in Australia \u2013 they are only found on high mountain-top ridges in the Mt Lewis area near Julatten, north of Cairns<\/p>\n

Adults are 2cm or smaller<\/p>\n

The males call from elevated spots in the small palms, and that\u2019s where they also protect small clusters of eggs which develop into froglets within the egg.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section el_class=”grean-btn-sec” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”47″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_button dimension=”outline” url=”https:\/\/terrain.org.au\/broad-leaf-tea-tree-woodlands\/” align=”right” el_class=”green-btn” outline_skin=”custom” outline_active_color=”#175137″ outline_active_text_color=”#ffffff” outline_hover_bg_color=”#175137″ outline_hover_color=”#ffffff”]Read More[\/mk_button][mk_padding_divider size=”100″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][mk_page_section section_id=”great-1-blog” sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column][mk_padding_divider size=”105″ visibility=”hidden-sm”][mk_fancy_title size=”28″ letter_spacing=”4″ margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”none” align=”right” el_class=”terrain-title”]RELATED NEWS[\/mk_fancy_title][mk_padding_divider visibility=”hidden-sm”][\/vc_column][\/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” fullwidth_content=”false” id=”post_grid_filter_1″][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”grid_greate_3″ css=”.vc_custom_1743711316392{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]\n

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