The elusive desert frogs scientists want Central Australians to find

Central Australians are being asked to lend their ears to science as recent storms offer a chance to find elusive frogs.

The Australian Museum is calling on residents to record frog calls using its free FrogID app during FrogID Week, running until Sunday.

Among the most sought-after frogs are the Tanami toadlet and the desert spadefoot, which are burrowing frogs that can spend months and potentially years hidden underground.

FrogID lead scientist Jodi Rowley said the central deserts were among Australia's most difficult places to study frogs.

"Some of the most poorly known frogs in Australia are from the central deserts or from really remote places throughout Australia," she said.

Many desert frogs emerge only after rain, when conditions are suitable for breeding.

Some burrowing frogs retreat more than 1 metre underground, conserving moisture in protective cocoons made from their own skin.

"They've got two things to do. One is eat as much as possible and the other is breed while there's water," Dr Rowley said.

A scientific mystery 43 years in the making

First described in 1981, the Tanami toadlet's call went unrecorded by scientists for 43 years.

That changed in March 2024, when more than 300 millimetres of rain fell over a weekend at Australian Wildlife Conservancy's Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary.

Wildlife ecologist Tim Henderson said his team had walked to a flooded claypan where frogs were calling in abundance.

"We don't often see frogs out here because it's the desert and it doesn't rain much, but when it does, it really comes to life," he said.

The team located Tanami toadlets and recorded their calls using FrogID, giving scientists a new way to recognise the elusive species.

Dr Henderson said recording the frogs was difficult because they emerged unpredictably after heavy rain.

"It's really about being in the right place at the right time," he said.

Dr Rowley said researchers still hoped to discover more locations for the species.

The desert spadefoot, a spotted burrowing frog, is another species researchers hope to hear more from.

"It's one of my favorites," Dr Rowley said, imitating its call.

"Something like whoop, whoop, whoop."

Everyday discoveries

Since launching in 2017, FrogID has collected about 1.5 million frog recordings, helping scientists map distributions and contributing to the scientific description of 13 new frog species.

But large parts of remote Australia remain poorly surveyed.

Dr Rowley said recordings from people travelling, camping or living in remote communities could be particularly valuable.

One recording submitted from a Northern Territory home revealed a frog more than 150 kilometres beyond its previously known range.

"So particularly in these remote and arid areas, your recording could be a huge scientific discovery," she said.

Long-term recordings help researchers understand changes in frog habitats, including the impacts of drought and climate change.

Dr Henderson said even recordings of common frogs could be valuable if the species had never been documented in that location.

How to get involved

People can record frogs using the free FrogID app, even outside the official FrogID Week.

Experts identify species from their calls, and background noise is not a problem.

The best opportunities are often after rain, particularly at night, although desert frogs can call during the day.

"You don't need to know what the frog species looks like. You don't need to know what it is," Dr Rowley said.