Fletcher's frog, Lechriodus fletcheri

Detailed introduction

The Fletcher Frog ( Lechriodus fletcheri ) is a medium-sized, digging native Australian frog, also known as the Sandpaper Frog . It belongs to the Australian terrestrial frog family and is adept at burrowing in mud and leaf litter, typically found in the damp forests and scrublands of eastern Australia.

Classification and nomenclature

• Commonly used Chinese name: Fletcher Frog (often transliterated from the person's name Fletcher), also known as Sandpaper Frog (a direct translation of Sandpaper Frog).

• English name: Fletcher Frog, Sandpaper Frog

• Scientific name: Lechriodus fletcheri

• Family and genus: Australian terrestrial frogs → genus Lechriodus

Appearance and Identification Features

The Fletcher frog has a plain appearance but unique details, and is a typical "burrowing frog":

• Size: Adults are usually about 4–6 cm long, with females being slightly larger than males, and their overall body shape is rather robust;

• Back color: mostly grayish-brown, brown or olive brown, with dark cloud-like patterns or patches, similar to the color of damp soil and fallen leaves;

• Skin texture: The skin on the back is slightly rough and feels like "sandpaper," which is where the name Sandpaper Frog comes from.

• Head markings: There are often dark "masks" or stripes behind the eyes, extending from behind the eyes to the tympanic membrane and sides of the body;

• Abdomen: The abdomen is mostly light gray or yellowish-white, and may have small spots;

• Limbs: The hind limbs are robust, with some webbing between the toes, and there are often obvious horny bumps ("digging bumps") on the inner side of the hind feet, which help to dig holes backward.

Medium size, grayish-brown camouflage, rough skin, and a "mask"-like head are important clues for identifying Fletcher's frogs in the wild.

Distribution range and habitat

The Fletcher frog is a native species of eastern Australia .

• They are mainly distributed in high-rainfall areas such as New South Wales and southeastern Queensland;

• It can be found in humid forests and forest edges from coastal hills to inland low mountains.

It prefers environments with water bodies, moist ground, and easy excavation:

• Natural habitats include streamsides, swamps, rainforests, and around seasonal waterholes in humid eucalyptus forests;

• They are often found near forest paths, drainage ditches, low-lying areas in the forest, and temporary water accumulation points;

• As long as there is shallow water suitable for breeding and a thick layer of mud or fallen leaves, it can become its habitat.

Habits: Digging and Hiding

Fletcher's frog is a typical burrowing, terrestrial frog .

• During the day, they mostly hide in self-dug burrows, under fallen logs, or in thick layers of fallen leaves and moss to maintain humidity and avoid predators.

• Caves are usually located in mud or sandy loam near water bodies, and when in danger, they will quickly push off the ground and burrow into the soil.

• They venture out to hunt and forage at dusk and night, and are particularly active on rainy days.

This lifestyle of "digging holes, lying in wait, and venturing out on rainy nights" is a common ecological characteristic of many Australian ground frogs.

Cry

Male Fletcher frogs emit a deep, slightly rhythmic call during the breeding season:

• Its calls are often heard on rainy nights near puddles, streams, or swamps;

• The sound is usually described as a short, deep "crawk" or "growk" sound with a certain rhythm;

• When multiple male frogs call at the same time, they create a unique, deep "frog chorus".

feeding habits

Like most terrestrial frogs, the Fletcher frog primarily feeds on small invertebrates:

• Surface insects such as beetles, crickets, cockroaches, and ants;

• Spiders, slugs, and other small arthropods and mollusks;

• They also occasionally prey on other small invertebrates that pass by.

They typically move slowly on the ground or lie in ambush, and once they spot their prey, they quickly extend their sticky tongues to catch it.

Reproduction and Development

Fletcher frogs' reproduction is heavily dependent on rainfall and temporary shallow water bodies :

• The breeding season usually occurs in warm, rainy months, especially after heavy rains;

• Male frogs gather in temporary water pits, forest puddles, and slow-moving areas of streams to croak.

• When female frogs lay eggs, they form foam nests containing air bubbles, which float on the water surface or attach to the edge of shallow water.

• Tadpoles develop in shallow water and must complete their metamorphosis before the puddle dries up.

• After becoming tadpoles, they leave the water and adopt a terrestrial, burrowing lifestyle.

Protecting the status quo and threats

The Fletcher frog is currently assessed as Least Concern (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, indicating that its overall distribution is relatively wide and its population is relatively stable.

Potential threats include:

• Deforestation, road construction, and urban sprawl have led to habitat fragmentation.

• The removal of wetland drainage and temporary water pits reduces the amount of water suitable for breeding.

• Pesticides and other pollutants enter the water, affecting eggs and tadpoles.

The key to protecting the Fletcher frog is to preserve the natural shallow pools, valley wetlands, and surrounding thick layers of soil and leaf litter in forests and scrublands.