The Hidden-ear Frog (Ranoidea cryptotis) is a medium-sized dumpy frog of the Australian north. It is found from the Kimberley Region of Western Australia, east through the Northern Territory and into northern Queensland. The common name "hidden-ear" as well as the specific epithet cryptotis are references to the fact that this frog lacks an obvious external tympanum (eardrum) as is seen in other members of the genus.
In color they are brown or green mottled, usually with a orange mid-dorsal stripe.
In general appearance, these reminded me of one of the North American Spadefoots (Scaphiopodidae) and they live a similar lifestyle. They remain burrowed in the soil for much of the year but emerge during the wet season to breed in flooded roadside ditches, ponds and swamps.
Not only do they visually remind me of the Scaphiopodidae, but their call has the groaning sound of many of the spadefoots. The call could be described as a groaning "woah, woah" produced over and over again.
Unfortunately, where I recorded these frogs there was a deafening chorus of other species calling (Ranoidea australis, Ranoidea longipes, Litoria rubella, Litoria inermis, Litoria ridibunda Uperoleia lithomoda and others). Here's a video where I tried to focus on the Hidden-ear Frogs, but you can hear how loud the others were. It was uncomfortable to the ears to be standing in this chorus!
Here's my recording of those choristers. The clicking sound is the Stonemason Toadlet nearby.
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© Chris Harrison 2023
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