Frogs of the Lake Eyre Basin: A Field Guide

This excellent field guide covers the vast area of the Lake Eyre Basin of Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales which covers about 1.2 million square kilometres, almost one sixth of Australia. The Lake Eyre Basin is a paradox, the country is arid and semi-arid yet contains some of the world’s largest rivers without an outlet to the sea. All creeks and rivers are ephemeral – they are mostly dry except for short periods after rain, when floodwaters spread across the country and make their way to Lake Eyre. Frogs are the often unknown and rarely appreciated story of the boom and bust cycles of Australia’s inland rivers. The ability of desert frogs to lie dormant for years in this driest part of the continent is one of nature’s wonders. And when the rains come, there is an incredible response, countless frogs seem to erupt from nowhere. This field guide beautifully illustrates the 44 native frog species of the Lake Eyre Basin, and one ubiquitous interloper, the Cane toad. The combination of text and images gives just enough information on each frog species, a credit to the three authors.