Family Myobatrachidae

Amphibiaweb lists 133 species of myobatrachids in 21 genera. Commonly referred to as Australasian ground frogs, they are widely distributed in New Guinea and Australia. They range from small (less than 1.5 cm) to large (12 cm).

The family includes the now almost certainly extinct Rheobatrachus species, the gastric brooding frogs. Females swallowed the fertilised eggs and the young hatched in the stomach, nurtured by stomach lining secretions.

The photograph of Platyplectrum spenceri was taken on the banks of the Todd River in Alice Springs after heavy rain. Within an hour dozens of these frogs emerged from their aestivating cavities in the sand and started calling for mates.

Platyplectrum ornatum Ornate burrowing frog

Platyplectrum ornatum Ornate burrowing frog, Balgal Beach, Queensland, Australia

Platyplectrum spenceri Spencer's burrowing frog