Atlas species information

Habitat

• Moist native forest, grassy clearings and sub-alpine scrub at 200-1000 m altitude.
• Often occurs on mist-shrouded ridges away from creeks.
• Nocturnal.
• Eggs layed on damp soil beneath rocks or logs and guarded by male; development terrestrial, tadpoles and froglets may cling to males back until metamorphosis completed.

Description

• Light fawn to dark brown, sometimes with dull to bright green patches, or occassionally green all over.
• Varying amounts of dark blotching.
• No bright markings on thighs.
• Measures up to 38 mm from snout tip to vent.
• The skin is generally smooth, though some scattered tubercles (small knob-like projections on the skin) occur on the proximal (upper) portions of the thighs and shanks, and some individuals are more warty on their backs than others.

Distribution

• Moehau and Colville Ranges on the Coromandel Peninsula south to ranges near Paeroa.
• Whareorino Forest, west of Te Kuiti.

Notes

• Named after Sir Gilbert Archey (1890-1974), former Director of the Auckland Institute and Museum.
• Subfossil bones attributable to the Leiopelma hamiltoni species complex have been found in the Waitomo, Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and north-west Nelson, suggesting that some or all of the members of this group were formerly more widely distributed.
• Notes about NZ threat classification (Hitchmough 2002): Probable impact of chytrid fungal disease.
• Notes about 2008-10 cycle of NZ threat classification for Frogs (Newman et al 2010): Qualifier 'De' because of past catastrophic decline (~85%) in Coromandel; population now persisting at severely reduced level, but no observed recovery although recruitment observed since crash, at least two potential agents of decline present - rodents and chytrid fungus, vulnerable because of slow maturity and long generation time (3 generations estimated at 30-45 years), no island populations, stable (+/- 20%), Whareorino sub-population is a small proportion (<10%) of the total population, qualifier 'CD' - predator control and disease spread management, ongoing monitoring critical.
• Notes about 2012-14 cycle of NZ threat classification for Frogs: (Newman, et al.
• 2013): Ongoing chytrid infection, population stabilised but no recovery detected.
• Rat impacts at population level confirmed - declines where rats not controlled in Whareorino.
• Threats from proposed mining activity.
• Mining prospecting leading to extensions of known range.
• Early signs of establishment with recruitment at Pureora translocation site.