No croaking here: endangered frogs bunker down to deliver first generation of Melbourne-made offspring

By Bridie Smith
Updated February 27 2017 - 1:08pm, first published January 5 2017 - 1:04am
The first female Baw Baw frog found in the wild - surrounded by eggs at Melbourne Zoo.  Photo: Damian Goodall
The first female Baw Baw frog found in the wild - surrounded by eggs at Melbourne Zoo. Photo: Damian Goodall
The first captive-bred Baw Baw frog eggs have hatched into tadpoles. Photo: Damian Goodall
The first captive-bred Baw Baw frog eggs have hatched into tadpoles. Photo: Damian Goodall
Damian Goodall looking after the frogs, housed in individual enclosures. Photo: Melbourne Zoo
Damian Goodall looking after the frogs, housed in individual enclosures. Photo: Melbourne Zoo

To the uninitiated they don't look like much to get excited about. Perhaps the only intriguing thing is that their bulbous bodies are a milky white, rather than dark brown or black. But these tadpoles are special.