An update on the status of wet forest stream-dwelling frogs of the Eungella region

Eungella’s wet forests are home to a number of stream-breeding frogs including three species endemic to the Eungella region: the Eungella dayfrog (Taudactylus eungellensis), Eungella tinkerfrog (T. liemi), and northern gastric brooding frog (Rheobatrachus vitellinus). During the mid-1980s, T. eungellensis and R. vitellinus suffered dramatic population declines attributable to amphibian chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Bd). While surveys in the late 1980s failed to locate T. eungellensis or R. vitellinus, populations of the former were located on a handful of streams surveyed by researchers in the mid-to-late 1990s. Between January 2000 and November 2015, additional surveys targeting these and other wet forest frog species were conducted at 114 sites within Eungella National Park and adjoining areas of State Forest. During these surveys, we located T. eungellensis at many more sites than surveys in the 1990s. Abundances of T. eungellensis at these sites were typically low, however, and well below abundance levels prior to declines in the mid-1980s. As with surveys in the 1990s, T. eungellensis was scarce at high-elevation sites above 600 metres altitude. Numbers of this species do not appear to have increased significantly since the mid-1990s, suggesting recovery of T. eungellensis populations is occurring slowly, at best. In contrast with T. eungellensis, T. liemi was frequently recorded at high-elevation sites, albeit at low densities. As with previous surveys, surveys during 2000–2015 were unsuccessful in locating R. vitellinus. Further frog surveys and monitoring (including disease surveillance) are needed to better assess the status of stream frogs at Eungella, and to understand the influence of Bd on the abundance and distribution of threatened stream-dwelling frogs at Eungella

Evidence for production of paralytic shellfish toxins by bacteria associated with Alexandrium spp. (Dinophyta) in culture

A substantial proportion of bacteria from five Alexandrium cultures originally isolated from various countries produced sodium channel blocking (SCB) toxins, as ascertained by mouse neuroblastoma assay. The quantities of SCB toxins produced by bacteria and dinoflagellates were noted, and the limitations in comparing the toxicities of these two organisms are discussed. The chemical nature of the SCB toxins in selected bacterial isolates was determined as paralytic shellfish toxins by pre- and postcolumn high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, and enzyme immunoassay.Versión del editor3,829

A new species of barred frog, Mixophyes (Anura: Myobatrachidae) from south-eastern Australia identified by molecular genetic analyses

Published: 2 Jun. 2023Mixophyes are large ground-dwelling myobatrachid frogs from eastern Australia and New Guinea. Several of the species found in mid-eastern and south-eastern Australia are listed as threatened, due largely to declines presumably caused by the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis. Given the wide distribution of several of these species and that their distributions cross well-known biogeographic boundaries that often correspond to deep genetic breaks or species boundaries among closely related vertebrates, we undertook a molecular genetic assessment of population structure across the range of each species to determine the presence of undescribed species. Of the four species of Mixophyes subject to molecular population genetic analyses, one, the Stuttering Frog (Mixophyes balbus), showed a level of diversity consistent with the presence of two species. Morphometric, meristic and bioacoustic analyses corroborate these distinctions, and a new species is described for the populations south of the Macleay River valley in mid-eastern New South Wales to east Gippsland in Victoria. Applying the IUCN Red List threat criteria the new species meets the conservation status assessment criteria for Endangered 2B1a,b because its extent of occupancy and area of occupancy are below the threshold value and it has declined and disappeared from the southern two thirds of its distribution over the past 30 years.Michael J Mahony, Terry Bertozzi, Jaro Guzinski, Harry B Hines and Stephen C Donnella

Heat - extruded sorghum grain for growirig - finishing swine.

Swine Industry Day 1968 is known as Swine Day, 1968This paper is a progress report of a research project initiated this past year designed to study the effects of heat and pressure processing of sorghum grain on the performance of swine. The theoretical reasoning behind this approach was to increase the utilization of sorghum grain by chemical and/or physical starch damage with the application of certain degrees of heat and pressure during processing. The starch granules, which contain complex forms of chemically stored" energy, must be broken-up and reduced into simple units of glucose in the digestive tract of the pig before absorption can occur

Revision of the water-holding frogs, Cyclorana platycephala (Anura: Hylidae), from arid Australia, including a description of a new species

The water-holding frog, Cyclorana platycephala, occurs in the Australian arid and semi-arid zones but not in the central Australian deserts. Recent inspection of morphological variation in adults and larvae suggests that the taxon comprises three regional populations: eastern, northern and western that may each represent separate species. To assess the systematic status of these populations, we documented phylogenetic relationships using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers, divergence in adult and larval morphology and male advertisement call. Our molecular genetic data demonstrates that the western population of C. platycephala is not the sister taxon of eastern and northern representatives of this nominate species, as the latter two are more closely related to another morphologically distinct species, C. verrucosa. Discriminant Function Analysis of 14 morphological traits in adults and 15 in larvae showed a high degree of morphological differentiation of western versus eastern/northern C. platycephala. Calls of eastern and western populations differed in duration, pulse rate, frequency and especially in amplitude modulation pattern across the call duration. We describe the western population as a new species, whose range is contained entirely within Western Australia. In addition, we redescribe Cyclorana platycephala, quantify morphological and genetic differences between the eastern and northern populations, and conclude that these data support recognition of a single species, Cyclorana platycephala, for populations found in New South Wales, the Barkly Tablelands and south-eastern Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia.Marion Anstis, Luke C. Price, J. Dale Roberts, Sarah R. Catalano, Harry B. Hines, Paul Doughty, Stephen C. Donnella

FIGURE 8 in Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia

FIGURE 8. Holotype of L. ridibunda sp. nov. (NTM R36917) in life: A) latero-dorsal view (Stephen Richards), B) laterodorsal view of head (Stephen Richards), C) posterior of thigh (Stephen Richards), D) groin (Stephen Richards), E) plantar view of foot, F) palmar view of hand.Published as part of <i>Donnellan, S.C., Catullo, R.A., Rowley, J.J.L., Doughty, P., Price, L., Hines, H.B. & Richards, S.J., 2023, Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia, pp. 73-108 in Zootaxa 5352 (1)</i> on page 99, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8406992">http://zenodo.org/record/8406992</a&gt

Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia

Donnellan, S.C., Catullo, R.A., Rowley, J.J.L., Doughty, P., Price, L., Hines, H.B., Richards, S.J. (2023): Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia. Zootaxa 5352 (1): 73-108, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.3, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.

FIGURE 9 in Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia

FIGURE 9. Photos in life of Litoria ridibunda sp. nov. from A) Wyndham, WA (Marion Anstis); B) WAM R167789, Surveyors Pool, Mitchell Plateau, WA (Paul Doughty); C) Red Cone Creek, WA (Paul Doughty); D) Channel Island Road, outer Darwin, NT (Stephen Richards); E) Ringwood, NT (Stephen Richards); F) Fogg Dam, NT (Matt Greenlees); G) Mitchell Plateau, WA (Jen Francis).Published as part of <i>Donnellan, S.C., Catullo, R.A., Rowley, J.J.L., Doughty, P., Price, L., Hines, H.B. & Richards, S.J., 2023, Revision of Litoria rothii (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from northern Australia, pp. 73-108 in Zootaxa 5352 (1)</i> on page 100, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.1.3, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/8406992">http://zenodo.org/record/8406992</a&gt

Vertebrate fauna survey of White Mountains National Park in the Desert Uplands Bioregion, central-north Queensland

The patterns of composition and distribution of vertebrate fauna in Queensland's tropical savannas are poorly known. The sandstone landscapes of White Mountains National Park are considered to be significant for fauna given its geographical position on the Great Dividing Range. A survey at White Mountains National Park was undertaken in order to determine the species present, and place them in the context of the assemblages recorded within the Desert Uplands Bioregion. Standardised trapping and incidental data collection techniques were used and a total of 122 vertebrate fauna species (53 being new to the park) were identified. The fauna assemblage contains a mix of vertebrates with some affiliation to north-eastern Queensland tropical savannas (e.g. Anomalopus gowi, Uperoleia lithomoda, Chaerephon jobensis), more mesic east coastal environments (e.g. Glaphyromorphus punctulatus, Planigale maculata, Rattus sordidus) and species distributed generally within and west of the Desert Uplands (e.g. Pseudomys desertor, Ctenotus rosarium, Gehyra variegata, Lerista wilkinsi)