Philoria pughi - profile

Conservation status in NSW: Endangered

Description

Philoria pughi was recently identified following a taxonomic review of the Philoria species of north east NSW. It has a robust, pear-shaped body to 30 mm long, varying in colour from red, yellow or maroon above or, occasionally, light tan or bronze. The flanks usually bear a conspicuous black patch, and a facial stripe extends from the snout through the eye to the base of the forelimb. The belly is mostly yellow with red patches on the abdomen.

Location and habitat

Distribution
 A restricted distribution at mid to high elevations from Gibraltar Range State Forest, north-east of Glen Innes, through Gibraltar Range National Park, Washpool National Park and Forest Land State Forest to Girard State Forest west of Casino.

• Requires continually high moisture levels and is most common in subtropical and temperate rainforests.
• Found in shallow burrows in mud, moss or leaf-litter in the headwaters and along edges of constantly flowing streams or around permanent soaks in highland forest.
• Also occurs in wet eucalypt forests, where rock outcrops or cliff bases hold surface moisture.

Regional information
This species is found in the following catchment management authority regions. Click on a region name to see more details about the distribution, vegetation types and habitat preference of the species in that region.

• Northern Rivers

Threats

• Degradation of habitat due to changes in hydrological regimes and water quality, and also from trampling by domestic stock.
• Infection by amphibian chytrid fungus.
• Anthropogenic climate change.
• Risk of local extinction due to small, scattered populations.
• Isolation of populations as a result of clearing and fragmentation of wet forest remnants, usually as a result of agricultural and forestry practices.
• Reduction of moisture levels caused by intensive forest management, including timber harvesting, road construction and burning.

Recovery strategies

Priority actions are the specific, practical things that must be done to recover a threatened species, population or ecological community. The Department of Environment and Conservation has identified 2 priority actions to help recover the Philoria pughi in New South Wales.

What needs to be done to recover this species?

• Prevent conversion of large areas of old-growth forest to young, even-aged stands.
• Protect known and potential habitat from forest management practices that reduce dry season stream flows and ground moisture levels.
• Protect areas of known habitat from roading, logging and other disturbance.
• Reconnect isolated rainforest patches with corridors of wet forest, particularly along drainage lines in stream headwaters.
• Adopt the DEC frog hygiene protocol to prevent the spread of chytrid fungus in amphibian habitat.

References

• NSW Scientific Committee (2005) Philoria pughi (a frog) - Endangered species determination - final. DEC (NSW), Sydney.