FrogID

FrogID is an Australian app that uses audio of frogs’ unique calls to identify various species and their locations. We can use it in Aotearoa New Zealand to record the location of introduced frogs.

There are only seven species of frog in New Zealand. Four are native – Hamilton’s frog, Maud Island frog, Archey’s frog and Hochstetter’s frog – and they are very difficult to find in their natural environments. The other three species are introduced from Australia – the brown tree frog, the southern bell frog and the green and golden bell frog – and they are much noisier than the natives. Scientists think that native frogs communicate via chemicals rather than through sound. They can make chirping sounds, but they do not croak like other frog species.

FrogID

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FrogID is a citizen science project that collects recordings of frog calls in order to identify where frog species are present in Australia and New Zealand.

Rights: Photograph by Sam Wilson, © Australian Museum

URL: www.nzfrogs.org and www.frogid.net.au

Reach: New Zealand, Australia

Nature of science focus: Online citizen science (OCS) projects can be used to develop any of the Nature of Science (NoS) substrands. What is important is to identify aspects of NoS that your students need to be better at or understand more fully and then frame your unit to be very clear about these things when you do them.

Science capability focus: Gather and interpret data, Engage with science

Science focus: ecology – introduced frog identification and species distribution

Some suggested science concepts:

• Frog species can be classified as being native, endemic or introduced.

• Native frog species can be listed as threatened or endangered.

• Unique adaptations – due to Aotearoa New Zealand’s long isolation, our native frogs have adaptations that are unique and they are quite different to introduced frogs.

• Habitat loss, disease and competition from introduced frog species pose a threat to native frog populations.

Many concepts could be learned – focusing on a few can often be more powerful. Develop your learning outcomes and success criteria from these concepts as well as the Nature of Science strand and the science capabilities.

Some examples of learning outcomes:

Students can:

• accurately gather and log data

• use evidence to convey the status of introduced frogs in their own locality

• compare animals’ adaptive features and explain their role in survival.

Native Maud Island frog

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Maud Island frogs prefer rocky areas in native coastal forests. They are confined to islands in the Marlborough Sounds. This habitat is quite different to habitats favoured by introduced frog species.

Rights: D Garrick, Department of Conservation

About the FrogID project

The FrogID app allows users to record frog calls and upload the audio. In Australia, this information helps to map the location of frogs around the country. In New Zealand, the information helps to record the location of introduced frogs.

Users record calls they believe are made by frogs and upload the audio to the FrogID site. A team of specialist scientists and frog experts will assess the audio to confirm it is a frog and to identify the species.

The NZFrogs website has information on the locations and habitats of each introduced frog species and when they are most likely to call.

Southern bell frog

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The southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) was introduced from Australia in the 1860s. It is the largest frog in New Zealand, and while widespread here, it is listed as endangered in Australia. Its call sounds like ‘crawcrocrocrocrok’ – a recording can be heard on the Department of Conservation Identifying introduced frog species page.

Rights: Stephen Mahony

This OCS project lends itself to the evolution component of the New Zealand Curriculum Living World strand. New Zealand’s native frogs have evolved to be very different to those species introduced from Australia. The three species of introduced frogs have become well established and thrive in many parts of New Zealand, whereas most of our native frogs have limited distribution due to disappearing habitats and introduced predators.

Another interesting note is that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the conservation status of the southern bell frog as endangered in Australia, yet the frog species can be found throughout New Zealand. Students can debate whether New Zealand has an obligation to conserve an introduced species.