Amphibians are a class made up of frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, caecilians (wormlike amphibians with poorly developed eyes). All can breathe and absorb water through their very thin skin. In Aotearoa New Zealand our indigenous species of amphibians are frogs, and they are found nowhere on Earth. 

Two species of introduced frogs can be found in Otago: the brown tree frog, Litoria ewingii, and the southern tree frog, Ranoidea raniformis. These two introduced species are originally from Australia and have now naturalised in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Introduced frogs are easy to distinguish from Aotearoa New Zealand’s indigenous frog species because they are larger and produce characteristic calls.

Our region once had an indigenous frog, the Markham's frog, Leiopelma markhami, but that species is now extinct.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s native frogs are in the genus Leiopelma, an ancient lineage of frogs that split from all other frogs 200 million years ago. Leiopelma frogs have a number of primitive traits that separate them most other species of frogs.

Maōri call our indigenous frogs pepeketua or poroka and they are a taoka (treasured possession).

A total of three amphibians listed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System were identified in Otago. Two amphibian taxa were assessed as Regionally Introduced and Naturalised (brown tree frog, Litoria ewingii, and southern tree frog, Ranoidea raniformis). An additional taxon was identified as Regionally Extirpated (i.e., have become extinct in the region; Markham's frog, Leiopelma markhami). 

Amphibian threat assessment link

Amphibian searchable species spreadsheet link

Amphibian searchable regionally extinct species link