• Background
• Characteristics

Eastern Banjo Frog (Photo: Steve Walker)

Eastern Banjo Frog - South East variety (Photo: Allan Cotton)

Cane Toad (Photo: Steve Walker)

The Eastern Banjo Frog is a common inhabitant of wetlands and rivers. During dry periods it spends its time in a burrow. It is often dug up by gardeners and is commonly confused with the Cane Toad (Bufo marinus).

The Eastern Banjo Frog is a medium to large frog with a broad, rounded head and short, thick limbs. Large glands are present on the tibia (shin) and the edge of the mouth. The body is rough and warty, varying from a pale grey to dark brown or black. The sides are commonly marked with bronze, purple or black.

There are two sub-species in South Australia. Limnodynastes dumerilii dumerilii inhabits Kangaroo Island and from the Fleurieu Peninsula  through to western Victoria. Limnodynastes dumerilii variegatus is restricted to the South East of South Australia, south western Victoria and some offshore islands. Sub-species variegatus lacks a dorsal stripe.

Eastern Banjo Frog distribution map

Size: Males 52-70 mm; Females 52-83 mm.

Habitat: Burrows in loamy soils and emerges to feed and breed after rains. Commonly seen crossing roads on rainy nights in the Adelaide Hills.

Breeding: In Spring a large foam nest containing up to 4000 eggs is laid in water and is often attached to vegetation. Females have special flanges (flaps of skin) on their fingers which are used to carry air bubbles from the surface of the water into the foam nest to oxygenate the eggs.

Advertisement call: A single musical 'bonk'. When numerous frogs are calling, each with a slightly different pitch, the chorus takes on the sound of a banjo.