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The premier, the poet and the fight to save an extraordinary Australian frog
- Scientists are applying DNA testing to search for proof of life of the southern gastric-brooding frog in its former habitats.
- The frog, once thought extinct in 2000, drew global attention to amphibian conservation amid Queensland politics and activism.
- The story centers on Rheobatrachus silus, the southern gastric-brooding frog, famed for giving birth through its mouth.
- Researchers documented the frog’s unique breeding biology during the early 1970s discovery era in Queensland.
- Conservation efforts in the Conondales and Blackall ranges were intertwined with political figures and environmental campaigns.
- Chytrid fungus caused the decline of the gastric-brooding frog, sealing its fate as an extinct species in 2000.
- FrogID Week and citizen science are cited as paths for potential rediscovery in Australia.
- Experts note that rediscovery remains uncertain, but hope persists among scientists and enthusiasts.
- The article links the frog’s fate to broader lessons about Australia’s conservation movement and governance.
- The piece underscores the frog’s enduring cultural and scientific legacy in Australia.
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