Breeding Success at Tidbinbilla

Dr Murray Evans in one of the temperature-controlled breeding enclosures at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Northern Corroboree Frog.

The gang at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the ACT has had a major breakthrough in the captive breeding program of Corroboree Frogs.  During the last breeding season their Northern Corroboree Frogs produced close to 1,500 eggs or an average of 6 eggs per female. This is by far the best breeding success we've had with either of the Corroboree Frog species and gives us lots of hope for the future.

Corroboree frogs can't breed until they are about four years old, and breeding success improves as they get older with older females appearing to produce much more eggs. Because of this only frogs that were collected as eggs from the wild over 5 years ago are breeding. On top of this we have had lots of problems with eggs and tadpoles not surviving to frog stage.

The reason for the last season's success at Tidbinbilla is still not really known. Dr Murray Evans - Senior Wildlife Ecologist with the ACT Government has developed a temperature regime for the captive frogs that he believes might be part of the reason. The regime mimics the conditions the frogs would have in their natural environment and involves cooling the frogs down to 5°C for a short Winter and a longer Summer at 20°C to allow the frogs to grow and develop eggs.

During the next breeding season Murray and his team at Tidbinbilla will be looking extra closely at the temperature regime, and a range of other factors, to see if they can find the secret to their success.