Biologists search for new species in west Arnhem Land

Australia Broadcast Center

05-05-2025

At the top pools of Edith Falls, Jodi Rowley scans the rocks with her head torch as she searches for glowing eyes.
"It could be a gecko, but I think it's a frog," she says.
On closer inspection, a Spalding's rocket frog comes into focus.
"They have enormous thighs and jet propulsion," Dr Rowley says.
She also notes their unusual call, which sounds like a "cross between a lawnmower and a chicken".
Jodi Rowley is one of the nation's leading frog experts.
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ABC Katherine: James Elton
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Dr Rowley is among a team of about 25 of the country's top biologists that has travelled to Jawoyn country, near Katherine in the Northern Territory, to catalogue the region's unique species.
"We still don't know how many frogs or reptiles we have," she says.
"Estimates are that maybe 20 per cent of Australia's frogs and reptiles still don't have a scientific name.
"In the last month there was four new species of frog described in Australia.
"We're hoping on this trip we're filling in some of those gaps, getting a better handle on things and maybe — hopefully — discovering species new to science."
A Spalding's rocket frog spotted at Edith Falls, also known as Leliyn.
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ABC Katherine: James Elton
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Zombie ants
The scientists worked with Jawoyn rangers and a crew of helicopter pilots to access rugged parts of the Arnhem plateau that are rarely seen, even by traditional owners.
Kirsti Abbott, the head of science at the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, says the remoteness of the area makes it challenging to access but increases the chances of finding new species.
"There's these beautiful microhabitats and deep chasms in the stone country, all of which could potentially harbour species evolved just for that tiny microhabitat," she says.
"For biologists to fly over country like that, you're seeing tiny pockets where there could be new species in at every turn."
The visiting scientists were keen to show their finds to locals in Katherine, including school students.
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ABC Katherine: James Elton
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Samples are being analysed as the scientist pick through their finds and cross-reference them with existing records, but there are already promising signs.
West Australian expert Nikolai Tatarnic found some resin-producing bugs and feather-legged bugs that may be new to Western science.
The savanna country is also known for its diversity of ants, more than 8,000 species of which are suspected to live in the area.
François Brassard found savanna ants consumed by a potentially new species of fungus.
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Supplied: François Brassard
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François Brassard found clusters of one known species of native ant that had been turned into a host by a potentially new species of parasitic fungus.
Dr Abbott says the fungus infects the ants and compels them to climb up tall grass before blooming and spreading its spores.
"We don't know how the ecology of this symbiosis actually works," she says.
"So while we found the dead ants with fungus on them, there is a lot more to uncover."
Baseline butterflies
The scientists are also interested in the range extension of other species that are known but being found in new territory.
Jared Archibald, a specialist in damselflies, dragonflies and butterflies from the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, says filling in the known habitats of a species and how they connect to the ecosystem is important.
"It's finding out more about the species and where they live and what they do," he says.
Mapping the areas where species occur helps to track environmental change over time.
Invertebrates have the most undescribed species among living creatures.
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ABC Katherine: Christine Schindler
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"It becomes a baseline for that point in time," Mr Archibald says.
"So in 10 years' time … or in 20 or 30 years if a whole group of butterflies aren't there, something's happening."
The field trip is part of the national Bush Blitz program, which is trying to piece together the puzzle of Australia's biodiversity.
Mr Archibald says having extra help from scientists outside the NT is crucial.
"It's gaining this extra knowledge about the NT that we just can't go out and do," he says.
"
We need these specialists that are often based down south to come and let us know what's here.
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Glenn Moore (left) from the WA Museum and Michael Hammer from the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT on the Katherine River.
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ABC Katherine: Christine Schindler
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FrogID success
Dr Rowley is also the mastermind behind the FrogID project, which allows members of the public to upload recordings of frog calls that are then classified by professionals.
Last year, the project received its one millionth recording.
"It's helped us understand how frogs are responding to things like climate change, bush fires, habitat modification — it's absolutely amazing," Dr Rowley says.
"
I couldn't do this kind of work if there was 10,000 of me in hundreds of years, but it really shows that people can make a difference.
"
Dr Rowley says new species of Australian frogs are still being found.
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ABC Katherine: James Elton
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Some of the most valuable recordings have come from people living or working in remote parts of the Top End, but Dr Rowley stresses that new frog discoveries are also happening in populated areas.
"We actually need everybody out there making these discoveries, in their backyard, when they go camping," she says.
Dr Rowley says the task of mapping species has never been more urgent.
"The world is changing," she says.
"We need to prioritise conservation efforts and the first step towards that is figuring out what species we have – and where – and then how they're doing."