The frogs of Papua New Guinea

Jamie Macfarlane

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide. Papua New Guinea is a world hotspot for biodiversity and contains very speciose communities of amphibians. PNG has 197 species of frog, which are very poorly studied, and are under threat from mass deforestation and water pollution from mining. The project will take place during the monsoon season when most frogs are mating (and therefore calling) in order to determine the relative abundance and breeding habitat requirements of the species present. We will provide a key of mating calls for future studies, and train New Guinean students in the skills required.