Sand Frog

Heleioporus is probably from the Greek helios, meaning sun, and poros, meaning holes, referring to the pattern on the back of the first named species, Heleioporus albopunctatus. Psammophilus means sand-loving and refers to this species preference for sandy soils.

South-west of Western Australia from Geraldton to Mt Barker.

A brown back with indistinct to bold white or pale grey patches. Sides dotted with white. Up to 62 millimetres long.

The call is described as a short high-pitched put-put-put-put, similar to a single cylinder motor such as a small outboard or lighting plant. It is believed that this frog breeds in a similar way to Heleioporus eyrei, clutches of eggs are laid at the end of a burrow dug into the sand.

Frogs of Western Australia. MJ Tyler, LA Smith, RE Johnstone. 1994

Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region. Brian Bush, Brad Maryan, Robert Browne-Cooper, David Robinson. 1995

Field Guide to the Frogs of Western Australia. MJ Tyler, P Doughty. 2009

Hear the call at the WA Museum http://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/frogwatch/frogs/sand-frog

Atlas of Living Australia https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/dfae4fa3-c11e-4e99-90e1-03f11f3f8e0d