Southern Cross University has achieved the first successful captive breeding of the endangered red and yellow mountain frog, then released seven frogs back into the wild to begin rebuilding a population. The goal is simple and urgent: prevent extinction by restoring wild numbers while threats are brought under control. Researchers will track the frogs using custom acoustic recorders that listen for their calls, providing an efficient, low impact way to measure presence and breeding over time. More releases are planned, and the early data will guide when and where to add new cohorts.
Who is the red and yellow mountain frog?
This tiny amphibian lives only on a handful of mountaintops in northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, mostly in rainforest. It occupies underground, waterlogged burrows, which makes it hard to find and even harder to study. Adults reach about 3 centimeters in length, and development takes place entirely within the egg, so there is no free-swimming tadpole stage. Hatchlings emerge at roughly 3 millimeters, an adaptation to a subterranean life where standing water is scarce. Isolated populations show distinct color patterns and genetic differences, so any recovery plan must preserve local lineages rather than blend them together.
The breakthrough came from recreating the frogs’ specialized world inside controlled facilities. The team matched temperature, moisture, soil composition, and vegetation to mimic the dark, saturated chambers these frogs use in the wild. They also used recordings of rainforest frog choruses to cue reproductive behavior, an approach that leverages natural signals to spark breeding. This program took years of trial and refinement led by research fellow Liam Bolitho and associate professor David Newell, who tuned each variable until the frogs responded. The result is a repeatable method that produces healthy eggs and robust hatchlings primed for release.
Threats on the mountaintops and the response
Despite the win in captivity, the species still faces serious pressure across its range. Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to shrink available refuges and isolate populations. Feral pigs damage creeks and rainforest floors through wallowing, and in droughts they concentrate in remaining wet areas, intensifying disturbance exactly where the frogs persist. Climate change compounds those stressors by squeezing cool, moist habitats upslope, with projections indicating more than a 60 percent loss of suitable climate space by mid-century if current trends continue. On the ground, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service is trapping pigs and fencing key sites, while landholders bordering parks are encouraged to report pig activity.
Partnerships that make recovery possible
This effort is anchored by a collaborative network that includes Southern Cross University scientists, NSW government agencies, and Githabul Traditional Owners. The first release took place during a small ceremony in Tooloom National Park at a confidential location to protect the animals. The species is listed as one of 110 priority species in the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan, which helps align policy, resources, and on-ground work. Together, these partners are combining cultural knowledge, field management, and scientific innovation to give the frogs their best chance. The program shows how coordination can translate lab success into wild survival.
Captive breeding is not a cure-all, yet it is vital when wild numbers fall and habitat is tightly constrained. It buys time by maintaining or boosting wild populations while broader threats are reduced, and it preserves genetic diversity that could vanish in a single bad season. Over the coming years, additional cohorts will be released to establish or reinforce populations, with long-term acoustic monitoring tracking occupancy, calling, survival, breeding, and site fidelity. Lessons from this project are already informing efforts to breed the Richmond Range mountain frog, extending benefits to related species with similar needs. The wider payoff is clear: precise habitat simulation, threat management, and community partnerships can stabilize highly specialized, range-restricted species at a moment when climate pressure makes quick, integrated action essential.
