Nick Volpe
Water-holding Frog (Cyclorana platycephala)
One of the most famous Australian frogs, the Water-holding Frog is found throughout the most arid areas of the country. It is well known that this frog can stay underground in its cocoon-like chamber for a number of years during severe droughts. They shed several layers of their skin to form this impermeable cocoon in the dry sand and sustain themselves on fat reserves and water stored in their bladder.
When the heavy rains finally arrive, the frogs emerge and breed prolifically in temporary pools. The resulting tadpoles will grow quickly and metamorphose, fatten up and then burrow underground until the next distant rains, re-starting the process.
This frog was photographed a couple of months ago in the Northern Territory's Barkley black-soil plains after the region received some welcomed heavy rainfall.
I was really excited as it was the first time I have ever seen these frogs, and it was well worth getting completely covered in mud to get down for this photo!
Water-holding Frog (Cyclorana platycephala)
One of the most famous Australian frogs, the Water-holding Frog is found throughout the most arid areas of the country. It is well known that this frog can stay underground in its cocoon-like chamber for a number of years during severe droughts. They shed several layers of their skin to form this impermeable cocoon in the dry sand and sustain themselves on fat reserves and water stored in their bladder.
When the heavy rains finally arrive, the frogs emerge and breed prolifically in temporary pools. The resulting tadpoles will grow quickly and metamorphose, fatten up and then burrow underground until the next distant rains, re-starting the process.
This frog was photographed a couple of months ago in the Northern Territory's Barkley black-soil plains after the region received some welcomed heavy rainfall.
I was really excited as it was the first time I have ever seen these frogs, and it was well worth getting completely covered in mud to get down for this photo!