Limnodynastes (commonly known as the Australian swamp frogs) is a genus of frog native to Australia, southern New Guinea and some Torres Strait Islands. They are ground-dwelling frogs, with no toe pads. The size varies from 45 mm to 90 mm in the giant banjo frog. The webbing on the feet ranges between species, from very little, to almost complete. The tympanum is not visible in any species, except in the woodworker frog, which is sometimes classed in a separate genus Megistolotis. All species construct a foam nest in which the eggs are laid. However, in south-eastern South Australia female striped marsh frog and spotted grass frog lack the flanges of skin on the hands that helps trap the air bubble and do not construct foam nests.

Limnodynastes
The striped marsh frog (Limnodynastes peronii)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Limnodynastidae
Genus: Limnodynastes
Fitzinger, 1843
Species

11, See text

Species

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Following a major revision of amphibians in 2006,[1] two species, the ornate burrowing frog, Opisthodon ornatus and Spencer's burrowing frog, Opisthodon spenceri, were moved to the resurrected genus Opisthodon. This reduced the number of member species to eleven.

Common name Binomial name
Marbled frog Limnodynastes convexiusculus (Macleay, 1878)
Flat-headed frog Limnodynastes depressus Tyler, 1976
Western banjo frog
or Pobblebonk
Limnodynastes dorsalis (Gray, 1841)
Eastern banjo frog Limnodynastes dumerilii Peters, 1863
Long-thumbed frog Limnodynastes fletcheri Boulenger, 1888
Giant banjo frog Limnodynastes interioris Fry, 1913
Woodworker frog Limnodynastes lignarius (Tyler, Martin, and Davies, 1979)
Striped marsh frog
or brown-striped frog
Limnodynastes peronii (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)
Salmon-striped frog Limnodynastes salmini Steindachner, 1867
Spotted grass frog Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Günther, 1858
Northern banjo frog Limnodynastes terraereginae Fry, 1915

References

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  1. ^ Frost, D. R.; Grant, T.; Faivovich, J.; Bain, R. H.; Haas, A.; Haddad, C. F.; et al. (2006). "The amphibian tree of life" (PDF). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 297 (297): 1–370. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2006)297[0001:TATOL]2.0.CO;2.