Geocrinia
Encyclopedia
Geocrinia is a genus of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

s in the family Myobatrachidae
Myobatrachidae
Myobatrachidae is a family of frogs found in Australia and New Guinea. Members of this family vary greatly in size, from species less than long, to the second largest frog in Australia, the Giant Barred Frog , at in length...

. These frogs are endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. All the species in this genus were originally referred to as Crinia
Crinia
Crinia is a genus of frog, native to Australia, and part of the family Myobatrachidae. It consists of small frogs, which are distributed throughout most of Australia, excluding the central arid regions...

. Further studies showed there was some considerable differences between this group of frogs and Crinia. These differences included; a slightly sturdier body, smoother skin on the ventral surface and the greatest difference, the reproductive nature, laying the eggs outside of water. Some species of Geocrinia go through the tadpole stage entirely in the egg capsule while others develop initially in the egg then hatch when sufficient rain falls for them to complete their larval development in water. Five of the seven species live in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 while the other two species are confined to south-eastern Australia.

Geocrinia alba is considered critically endangered, due to habitat loss from expansion of the wine industry in Western Australia.

Species

Common nameBinomial name
White-bellied Frog Geocrinia alba
Geocrinia alba
The White-bellied frog is a small frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It occupies an area near Margaret River in swampy depressions adjoining creeks. Threats from altered ecology have made this a critically endangered species of Southwest Australia.- Description :G...

Smooth Frog Geocrinia laevis
Geocrinia laevis
Geocrinia laevis, the Smooth or Southern Smooth Froglet is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family.It is endemic to Tasmania, the Grampians and south western Victoria.-References:...

Lea’s Frog Geocrinia leai
Geocrinia leai
Geocrinia leai, is a frog which is sometimes given the euphemism, Lea's Frog; which is of course derived from its name. It is a species in the taxonomic family, Myobatrachidae and is endemic to southwest Australia....

Walpole’s Frog Geocrinia lutea
Geocrinia lutea
Geocrinia lutea is a species of frog in the Myobatrachidae family. It is sometimes named for the nearby towns, thus the Nornalup or Walpole frog.It is endemic to Southwest Australia, home to five of the seven cogenors in the Geocrinia family....

Karri Frog Geocrinia rosea
Geocrinia rosea
Geocrinia rosea, the Karri or Roseate Frog is a species in the family, Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Southwest Australia....

Eastern Smooth Frog Geocrinia victoriana
Orange-bellied Frog Geocrinia vitellina
Geocrinia vitellina
The Orange-bellied Frog a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to a 20 ha area near Margaret River in Southwest Australia. It is vulnerable to extinction by fire and pigs.- Description :G...

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