Sunset Frog

Spicospina flammocaerulea

A moderate-sized frog with enlarged paratoid glands and highly distinctive raised glands along the back. The back is dark purple-black. The undersurface is brilliant orange with mottled grey-sky blue. The hands and feet are bright orange. The toes and fingers are long with no webbing and the foot lacks outer metatarsal tubercles. Maximum known size 3.6 cm.

Breeding

Males call from late spring around the edges of pools and under dense cover.

Call

The call is a very distinctive "da duk" repeated rapidly.

Eggs

Laid in swamps.

Tadpoles

Can take several months before metamorphosis.

Other Notes

The sunset frog is one of the oldest WA frogs, estimated to be at least 30 million years old. It is quite distinct from other Australian frogs and was only discovered in the early 90s and was described in 1997. Owing to its small distribution it is listed as "vunerable".