Crinia signifera Girard, 1853

Class: Amphibia > Order: Anura > Superfamily: Myobatrachoidea > Family: Myobatrachidae > Genus: Crinia > Species: Crinia signifera

Bufo leucogaster Péron, 1807, Voy. Decouvertes aux Terres Aust., 1: 406. Holotype: Not stated or known to exist. Type locality: "Paramatta . . . Nouvelle-Hollande". Nomen oblitum. Synonymy by Shea and Rowley, 2018, Zootaxa, 4407: 58. 

Crinia (Ranidella) signifera Girard, 1853, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 6: 422. Type(s): Not traced, presumably originally in USNM , ANSP, or Philadelphia Mus. (now destroyed). ZMUC 1181 is by their records (pers. comm. Hans Kristensen, 24 Nov. 2010) considered the holotype, but presumably this is a syntype exchanged to the ZMUC, rendering it the sole surviving syntype. Type locality: "New Holland", Australia.

Ranidella signifera — Girard, 1853, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 6: 421. Alternative combination.

Ranidella signifera — Girard, 1858, U.S. Explor. Exped. 1838–1842, 20: 44.

Camariolius varius Peters, 1863, Monatsber. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1863: 236. Syntypes: Originally 6 specimens; ZMB 4708 (4 specimens) noted by Bauer, Günther, and Robeck, 1996, Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 72: 267, who reported them present, rather than as lost as had Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29. Type locality: "Buchfelde bei Adelaide in Südaustralien" (= Loos, near Gawler), South Australia. Tentative synonymy by Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265, with this species and with Crinia tasmaniensis, suggesting that the type series included more than one species. Synonymy by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29.

Pterophrynus verrucosus Lütken, 1864 "1863", Vidensk. Medd. Dansk Naturhist. Foren., Ser. 2, 4: 302. Holotype: ZMUC, by orginal designation; given as ZMUC R1181 by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29. Type locality: "Australien". Synonymy by Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265.

Crinia georgiana var. laevipes Keferstein, 1867, Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, 18: 348. Syntypes: ZFMK 28246-28247 according to Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29. Type locality: "Sydney", New South Wales, Australia. Synonymy by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29.

Crinia georgiana var. varia — Keferstein, 1867, Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, 18: 348. Combination rejected by Günther, 1868, Zool. Rec., 4: 145.

Cystignathus sydneyensis Keferstein, 1867, Nachr. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen, 18: 348. Nomen nudum. Synonymy by Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265.

Crinia signifera — Cope, 1867, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 6: 202.

Camariolius pictus Cope, 1867, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 6: 202. Error for Camariolius varius.

Crinia stictiventris Cope, 1867, J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Ser. 2, 6: 202. Syntypes: MCZ 672 (2 specimens), now lost according to Barbour and Loveridge, 1929, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 69: 244, who thought it possible that they survive in the ANSP. Type locality: "Australia, region not specified". Synonymy by Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265.

Pterophrynus varius — Steindachner, 1867, Reise Österreichischen Fregatte Novara, Zool., Amph.: 31.

Pterophrynus fasciatus Steindachner, 1867, Reise Österreichischen Fregatte Novara, Zool., Amph.: 31. Syntypes: NHMW (?) 4707 (see comment in Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 29). NHMW 4707.1–13 considered syntypes by Tiedemann and Grillitsch, 2000 "1999", Herpetozoa, Wien, 12: 148. Type locality: "Neu-Südwales", Australia. Synonymy by Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265.

Pterophryne fasciata — Günther, 1867, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 3, 20: 53.

Crinia verrucosa — Günther, 1869 "1868", Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868: 478.

Crinia fasciata — Günther, 1869 "1868", Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1868: 478.

Crinia signifera — Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 265.

Camariolius varius — Boulenger, 1882, Cat. Batr. Sal. Coll. Brit. Mus., Ed. 2: 266.

Crinia signifera signifera — Loveridge, 1934, Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasmania, 1933: 59.

Crinia signifera englishi Parker, 1940, Novit. Zool., 42: 89. Syntypes: BMNH 1901.9.13.10–19 (reregistered as 1947.2.19.46–64; near Launceton), 1936.9.7.4–7 (now reregistered as 1947.2.19.76–79; near Devonport), AMS R6041–45 (Launceton), R7601 (2 specimens) (Ulverstone), R10353 (Eagle Hawk's Nest), R10356–57 (National Park), R49825–30 (George's Bay) by original designation and Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 30; two of three specimens under AMS R6045 reregistered as AMS R10356–57, according to Shea and Sadlier, 1999, Tech. Rep. Aust. Mus., 15: 12. Type localities: "Near Launceton", "Near Devonport", "Launceton", "Eagle Hawk Neck", "National Park", "Ulverston" and "Georges Bay, Tasmania, Australia.

Crinia signifera montana Parker, 1940, Novit. Zool., 42: 90. Syntypes: AMS R579 (Mt. Kosciusko, 5500 ft.), R4647 (Mt. Kosciusko, 5000 ft.), AMS R5043–44 and R5046–48 (Mt. Kosciusko, 7000 ft.), AMS R5050–53 and R7439 (Pretty Point), AMS R9741 and R9743 (Lake Cootapatamba, Mt. Kosciusko), AMS R9742 (2 specimens) (Rawson Pass, Mt. Kosciusko, 8800 ft.) and MCZ 26761–62, by original designation. Status unclear of MCZ 26761–62, listed as syntypes by Cogger, Cameron, and Cogger, 1983, Zool. Cat. Aust., Amph. Rept., 1: 30, but only AMS R5043 exchanged to MCZ according to Shea and Sadlier, 1999, Tech. Rep. Aust. Mus., 15: 12 (and Cogger, 1979, Rec. Aust. Mus., 32: 168, noted two missing syntypes from the AM). Type localities: "Mt. Kosciusko, 5000 ft.", "Mt. Kosciusko, 5500 ft.", "Mt. Kosciusko, 700 ft.", "Pretty Point, Mt. Kosciusko", "Lake Cootapatamba, Mt. Kosciusko", "Rawson Pass, Mt. Kosciusko, 8800 ft.", Mt. Kosciusko region, New South Wales, Australia.

Crinia affinis halmaturina Condon, 1941, Rec. S. Aust. Mus., 7: 114. Holotype: SAMA R2165, lost according to Tyler, 1976, Rec. S. Aust. Mus., 17: 177–180. Type locality: "Flinders Chase, Kangaroo Island, South Australia".

Ranidella signifera — Blake, 1973, Aust. J. Zool., 21: 141; Heyer and Liem, 1976, Smithson. Contrib. Zool., 233: 12.

Crinia signifera — Heyer, Daugherty, and Maxson, 1982, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 95: 426; Read, Keogh, Scott, Roberts, and Doughty, 2001, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol., 21: 302..

Ranidella englishi — Wells and Wellington, 1985, Aust. J. Herpetol., Suppl. Ser., 1: 4. Species elevation without discussion.

Ranidella halmaturina — Wells and Wellington, 1985, Aust. J. Herpetol., Suppl. Ser., 1: 4. Species elevation without discussion.

Ranidella montana — Wells and Wellington, 1985, Aust. J. Herpetol., Suppl. Ser., 1: 4. Species elevation without discussion.

Ranidella varius — Wells and Wellington, 1985, Aust. J. Herpetol., Suppl. Ser., 1: 4. Species elevation without discussion. Disagreement in gender.

Common Names

Common Eastern Froglet (Cogger, 1975, Rept. Amph. Australia: 46; Frank and Ramus, 1995, Compl. Guide Scient. Common Names Amph. Rept. World: 94; Cogger, 2018, Rept. Amph. Australia, 7th ed.: 82).

Common Froglet (Moore, 1961, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 121: 225; Martin and Littlejohn, 1982, Tasman. Amph.: 7; Barker, Grigg, and Tyler, 1995, Field Guide Aust. Frogs., Ed. 2: 295; Tyler and Knight, 2009, Field Guide Frogs Aust.: 116).

Brown Froglet (Waite, 1929, Rept. Amph. S. Aust.: 257; Martin and Littlejohn, 1982, Tasman. Amph.: 7).

Signet Southern Frog (Ananjeva, Borkin, Darevsky, and Orlov, 1988, Dict. Amph. Rept. Five Languages: 103).

Western Brown Frog (Ananjeva, Borkin, Darevsky, and Orlov, 1988, Dict. Amph. Rept. Five Languages: 103).

Clicking Froglet (Ingram, Nattrass, and Czechura, 1993, Mem. Queensland Mus., 33: 222).

Distribution

Southeastern Australia, extending from southeastern Queensland through the eastern half of New South Wales to throughout most of Victoria to south of the Flinders Ranges in South Australia; Tasmania.

Geographic Occurrence

Natural Resident: Australia

Endemic: Australia

Comment

Prior to the work of Main, 1957, Aust. J. Zool., 5: 30, this species was considered to be widespread in Australia; Main demonstrated the existence of several sibling species. Subsequent work has demonstrated this species to be restricted to southeastern Australia (Littlejohn and Martin, 1964, Aust. J. Zool., 12: 70–83).Advertisement call described by Littlejohn, 1959, Evolution, 13: 452–468. See account by Tyler, 1978, Amph. S. Aust.: 54–55. Martin and Littlejohn, 1982, Tasman. Amph.: 32–33, provided a brief account for the Tasmanian population. Odendaal and Bull, 1982, Aust. J. Zool., 30: 49–57, discussed the boundary with Crinia riparia. Gollmann, 1991, Alytes, 9: 51–58, provided a larval developmental table. Symula, Keogh, and Cannatella, 2008, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol., 47: 569–580, reported on mtDNA phylogeographic patterns and reported genetically deeply divergent populations. Littlejohn, 2008, Aust. J. Zool., 56: 223–232, reported on geographic variation in call structure that suggested separate lineages, but Littlejohn did not regard the differences to be evidence of being different species. Cogger, 2018, Rept. Amph. Australia, 7th ed.: 82–83, provided a brief account, photograph, and polygon distribution map. Cutajar, Portway, Gillard, and Rowley, 2022, Tech. Rep. Aust. Mus. Online, 36: 13, provided a polygon distribution map.

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