Development of a conservation strategy for the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea in the Illawarra Region of New South Wales

The Green and Golden Bell Frog <i>Litoria aurea</i> is recognized in New South Wales and nationally as a species in serious decline. We surveyed its current distribution and abundance in the Illawarra region of New South Wales in order to devise a regional conservation plan for this species, based on the objective of establishing at least three isolated, viable populations. The survey was conducted during 1997-1999 across 18 sites based on historic and current records of the species, and habitat suitability. Bell frogs were detected at eight sites, four of which were on public land. The maximum number of adult frogs varied from 11 to 78 across seven sites in Port Kembla, suggesting a population of ≯ 100 adult frogs. Breeding was poor at most sites during this study but a moderate number (ca50) of juvenile frogs was observed at the BHP Steelworks site in January 1998 and at Coomaditchy Lagoon in February 1999. Bell frogs were recorded previously at Shellharbour, where a large population occurred, and at Bulli. These areas are proposed as the other regional sites for bell frog conservation because they are well isolated (≯10 km away) from Port Kembla. A small number of bell frogs was present at Bulii, while none was found at Shellharbour. The apparent stability of bell frogs in the Port Kembla area suggests that the presence of multiple breeding sites within a relatively small area (2.5 km radius) is very important and the establishment of viable populations in other areas should consider mis situation as a model. This will require the creation of additional breeding sites at Bulli and Shellharbour, and may require translocation to Shellharbour if no occupied sites are found in the next few years. The presence of predatory fish at nine sites demonstrates the need for the conservation strategy to include activities that improve the quality of the habitat currently available to bell frogs.