Two New Frog Species Identified in South Australia Through Museum Research

A taxonomic reassessment of the Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingii) has revealed it comprises three distinct species rather than one. Researchers from the Australian Museum and South Australian Museum described two new species from South Australia: the South Australian Tree Frog (Litoria calliscelis) found in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Fleurieu Peninsula, and Adelaide coastal plain, and the Kangaroo Island Tree Frog (Litoria sibilus) endemic to Kangaroo Island. The study utilized DNA analysis, physical characteristics, and mating call data contributed by public participants through the FrogID project. These species diverged from a common ancestor approximately 2-3 million years ago. The Kangaroo Island species may require conservation attention due to its limited range and vulnerability to bushfires.