Adelotus brevis
Silhouette: Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~60%
The tusked frog (Adelotus brevis) is a species of ground-dwelling frog native to eastern Australia from Eungella National Park, Queensland south to Ourimbah, New South Wales. It is the only species in the genus Adelotus - adelotus meaning "unseen" and brevis meaning "short".
The tusked frog is a unique frog within Australia, as it is the only species where the female is smaller than male. Males can reach a maximum length of about 5 centimetres (2.0 in), while females reach 4 centimetres (1.6 in). The common name of "tusked frog" derives from the small protrusions on the lower jaw, similar in position to tusks, which can reach about 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in length in males (only visible when the mouth is open).
The pair of bony tusks are modified teeth that protrude from the middle of the lower jaw and fit into special grooves on the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. They are slightly curved and sharply pointed, and are present in both males and females, although they are larger in males.
Males have been observed 'locking jaws' with each other, in a similar way to male deer locking antlers in the struggle to exert dominance over each other. Male tusked frogs have... Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
Australia · 2025
© Liam Hall · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:15
Australia · 2025
© pietervandam1 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:17
Australia · 2022
© Luke R. Hardy · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Tusked Frog sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 11 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Tusked Frog in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and September, the lowest months.
Between 6 and 9 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tusked Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Tusked Frog sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tusked Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Springbrook National Park (17 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
