Amphibians or ika oneone 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 only indigenous species of amphibians are frogs or pepeketua or poroka, and they are found nowhere else 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.

An additional introduced frog from Australia has been recorded: the green and golden bell frog (Ranoidea aurea). However, there is no confirmed evidence yet for a ‘naturalised’ population, i.e., multi-generational with spread.

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 several 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).

In a regional threat assessment for amphibians, a total of three species listed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System were assessed in Otago. Two amphibian taxa were assessed as Regionally Introduced and Naturalised (brown tree frog, Litoria ewingii, and southern tree frog, Ranoidea raniformis). The third species was assessed as Regionally Extirpated, i.e., extinct in the Region (Markham's frog, Leiopelma markhami). An additional introduced frog has been recorded (green and golden bell frog; Ranoidea aurea), but there is no confirmed evidence for a ‘naturalised’ population.

More information can be found in the regional threat assessment report.

To find out more about native frogs or pepeketua in Aotearoa New Zealand, NZFrogs has developed the Pepeketua of Aotearoa series which includes booklets, accompanying posters, and special posters on: What makes our Pepeketua special? and Protecting our Pepeketua. All resources are available in English and Te Reo Māori. Our extinct native frog in Otago, Markham's frog or Leiopelma markhami, is mentioned in the booklet on extinct frogs written in English and in te reo Māori and shown on the booklet posters in English and in te reo Māori. 

www.orc.govt.nz/frogs