ABSTRACT
The rarely encountered giant burrowing frog, Heleioporus australiacus, is distributed widely in a variety of sclerophyll forest habitats east of the Great Dividing Range in south-eastern Australia. Analyses of variation in nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial ND4 gene and thousands of nuclear gene SNPs revealed the presence of two deeply divergent lineages. Multivariate morphological comparisons show the two lineages differ in body proportions with > 91% of individuals being correctly classified in DFA. The two lineages differ in the number and size of spots on the lateral surfaces and the degree by which the cloaca is surrounded by colour patches. The mating calls are significantly different in number of pulses in the note. The presence of a F2 hybrid in the area where the distribution of the two taxa come into closest proximity leads us to assign subspecies status to the lineages, as we have not been able to assess the extent of potential genetic introgression. In our sampling, the F2 hybrid sample sits within an otherwise unsampled gap of ~90km between the distributions of the two lineages. The nominate northern sub-species is restricted to the Sydney Basin bioregion, while the newly recognised southern subspecies occurs from south of the Kangaroo Valley in the mid-southern coast of New South Wales to near Walhalla in central Gippsland in Victoria. The habitat of the two subspecies is remarkably similar. Adults spend large portions of their lives on the forest floor where they forage and burrow in a variety of vegetation communities. The southern subspecies occurs most commonly in dry sclerophyll forests with an open understory in the south and in open forest and heath communities with a dense understory in the north of its distribution. The northern subspecies is also found in dry open forests and heaths in association with eroded sandstone landscapes in the Sydney Basin bioregion. Males of both taxa call from both constructed burrows and open positions on small streams, differing from the five Western Australian species of Heleioporus where males call only from constructed burrows. Using the IUCN Red List process, we found that the extent of occupancy and area of occupancy along with evidence of decline for both subspecies are consistent with the criteria for Endangered (A2(c)B2(a)(b)).
Subject(s)
Anura , Ecosystem , Animals , Anura/genetics , Genes, Mitochondrial , Male , PhylogenyABSTRACT
Over two field seasons during 2014-15, 35 long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus) were captured in state forests in South Eastern New South Wales for translocation to Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay Territory, Australia. Animals were anesthetized for physical examination and collection of samples to assess general health and screen for select diseases identified during a disease risk assessment. Morphologic, hematologic, and biochemical parameters were determined, and parasites were identified where possible. Trypanosoma gilletti, Trypanosoma vegrandis, and novel genotypes most similar to a Trypanosoma wallaby-derived isolate (ABF) were identified from blood samples by PCR; the first time Trypanosoma has been described in this species. Also reported is the first confirmation of the Australian paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, from the long-nosed potoroo. Surveillance showed that Cryptococcus sp. may form part of the normal nasal flora for long-nosed potoroo. Salmonella enterica serotype Dublin and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica was identified from rectal swabs of otherwise healthy animals. The data provide baseline health and disease parameters for this newly established population and the source population and will inform future translocation and conservation management activities. These data expand current knowledge on aspects of the biology and microbiology of the long-nosed potoroo, both locally and nationally.
