Updated Australian Frog Atlas Released with Seven New Species and Expanded Distribution Maps

The Australian Museum has published an updated version of the Australian Frog Atlas, providing comprehensive distribution maps for all 254 recognized frog species in Australia. This revision incorporates over one million records from the FrogID citizen science project, along with data from published literature and the Atlas of Living Australia. Seven newly described frog species have been added since the initial 2022 release: the Southern Stuttering Frog (Mixophyes australis), Otway Smooth Frog (Geocrinia sparsiflora), Scarlet-sided Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes grayi), Coastal Banjo Frog (Limnodynastes superciliaris), South Australian Tree Frog (Litoria calliscelis), Kangaroo Island Tree Frog (Litoria sibilus), and Western Laughing Tree Frog (Litoria ridibunda). Additionally, four Western Australian species have been reclassified under the new genus Anstisia. The atlas reveals significant range extensions for several species, including a 100km southwest expansion for the Cave Frog (Litoria cavernicola) and a 300km southwest extension for the Blacksoil Toadlet (Uperoleia trachyderma), both representing 13% increases in known distribution. These updates were made possible by FrogID recordings from previously under-sampled remote areas. Currently, FrogID has documented frog presence across 37% of Australia, with coverage maps available to guide further citizen science efforts. The atlas is available as an open-access resource through Zenodo, featuring KML files, shapefiles, and species richness maps. This project supports conservation by improving understanding of species distributions, particularly for threatened amphibians. Key contributors include Grace Gillard, Dr. Jodi Rowley, and Timothy Cutajar from the Australian Museum Research Institute, with funding from Australian Government Citizen Science Grants, IBM Australia, the James Kirby Foundation, and various museum partners.