Editing Eungella National Park (section)

===Amphibians===
A total of 16 amphibian species have been recorded in the park.<ref name="q gov 2015" /> Globally, amphibians have undergone rapid and extensive decline in recent decades, due in part to habitat loss and pollution, but unknown factors threaten almost half the species in decline.<ref name="stuart">Stuart, S. N., J. S. Chanson, N. A. Cox, B. E. Young, A. S. L. Rodrigues, D. L. Fischman, and R. W. Waller. 2004. Status and trends of amphibian declines and extinctions worldwide. Science 306:1783-1786.</ref> Amphibians are more threatened and are declining more rapidly than either birds or mammals.<ref name=stuart /> An exotic and highly-virulent [[pathogen]] may be contributing to the decline of rainforest frog species in eastern Australia.<ref>Laurance, W. F., K. R. McDonald, and R. Speare. 1996. Epidemic disease and the catastrophic decline of Australian rain forest frogs. ''Conservation Biology'' 10:406-413.</ref> The causative agent may be the [[chytrid fungus]] ''Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'',<ref>Berger, L., R. Speare, and A. Hyatt. 1999. Chytrid fungus and amphibian declines: overview, implications and future directions. Pages 23-33 in A. Campbell, editor. Declines and disappearances of Australian frogs. Environment Australia, Canberra.</ref> although this has not as yet been detected in stream-dwelling frogs in the park.<ref name="qpws200">Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. 2000. Recovery plan for the stream-dwelling frogs of the Eungella region of mid eastern Queensland 2000-2004</ref>

Eungella National Park is recognised as one of eleven areas with high levels of [[frog]] endemism.<ref>Slatyer, C., D. Rosauer, and F. Lemckert. 2007. An assessment of endemism and species richness patterns in the Australian Anura. ''Journal of Biogeography'' 34:583-596.</ref> Of the three endemic frog species endemic, two are still believed to exist today, the [[Taudactylus eungellensis|Eungella dayfrog]] and the [[Eungella tinker frog]], while one species, the [[Rheobatrachus vitellinus|northern gastric brooding frog]], is believed extinct.<ref name="q gov 2015" /><ref name="clarke">Clarke, J. M. 2006. Habitat, microhabitat and calling behavior of ''Taudactylus pleione'' Czechura (Anura: Myobatrachidae) a critically endangered frog from central Queensland, Australia. Centre for Environmental Management. Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland.</ref> All three species are ground dwelling and their distribution is restricted to streams or areas close to streams in mid to high elevation rainforests.<ref name=qpws200 /><ref name=clarke />

The Eungella dayfrog was previously more common, but has declined in number and distribution in recent decades, and is now considered endangered at a state and federal level.<ref name="q gov 2015" /><ref name=clarke /> The peak breeding period for this species is between January and May, but tadpoles at all sizes and developmental stages can be found throughout the year.<ref>Retallick, R. W. R., and J.-M. Hero. 1998. The Tadpoles of ''Taudactylus eungellensis'' and ''T. liemi'' and a key to the stream-dwelling tadpoles of the Eungella rainforest in East-Central Queensland, Australia. Journal of Herpetology 32:304-309.</ref> This frog is one of only two species known to use body language, including small hops and movements of the arms and legs, to attract the attention of other frogs; a behaviour which may have evolved due to the noise of mountain streams rushing over rocks in its habitat making calling a less effective means of communication.<ref name=winter /><ref>Howes, J., and C. Smyth 1994. The edge of extinction: Australia's threatened wildlife. Gould League of Victoria, moorabbin, Victoria.</ref>

The Eungella tinkerfrog is considered near threatened in Queensland.<ref name="q gov 2015" /> It occurs between 180 and 1250m elevation, but is sparsely distributed and rarely seen.<ref name="hero">Hero, J., R. Alford, M. Cunningham, K. McDonald, J. Clarke, and R. Retallick. 2004. ''Taudactylus liemi''. The IUCN Red List of threatened species.</ref> Potential threats to this species include forest grazing, trampling by livestock, introduced species such as the [[cane toad]] (''Rhinella marina'') and the [[chytrid fungus]].<ref name=hero />

The northern gastric brooding frog (''Rheobatrachus vitellinus'') was discovered in January 1984, but has not been seen since March 1985 and is believed to be extinct.<ref name="q gov 2015" /><ref name=qpws200 /><ref>McNellie, M., and J. M. Hero. 1994. In search of the missing rainforest frogs of Eungella. Wildlife Australia 31:21-22.
</ref> It is one of only two species in the world known to brood its young in its stomach, with the mother swallowing fertilised eggs or early larval stages, before 'giving birth' through the mouth.<ref name=winter /> Its distribution was exclusively undisturbed rainforest within Eungella National Park at altitudes of 400-1000m, before it underwent a sudden range contraction and disappeared.<ref name=qpws200 />