Australian Ground Frogs: Limnodynastidae

Many of the species in this family are burrowers and live part of their lives underground. The giant burrowing frog is an example. During the daytime, and also during long, dry periods, this species uses its powerful hind legs to dig backward into the soil and bury itself. This behavior hides the frog from would-be predators and also helps to keep its skin moist. Other species in this family, like the woodworker frog and striped marsh frog, do not burrow. Instead, the woodworker frog hides in the cracks of rocks or in caves, and the striped marsh frog slips among the tall plants of the marshes, grasslands, and forests where it lives. The typical Australian ground frog mates in a stream or pond—sometimes one that dries up later in the year.