Tiny transmitters help track tiny frogs

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-04-09 03:00

New Zealand

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NZ researchers fitted native Hochstetter's frogs with a mini radio transmitter attached to a harness, to track their movements over several days. In each 12 hour period, these tiny frogs - weighing just 5 to 8 grams - moved 70 centimetres on average, with one frog making it almost 17 metres. This was the first time the radio method had been tried on an NZ frog that lives both in land and in water, and the researchers say minor abrasions seen on the frogs' hip joints mean they need to improve the fit of the harness. However, the authors said that using mini radios could be a useful tool to understand more about these threatened frogs, to help improve conservation efforts.