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Story: Frogs

Male native frog brooding eggs

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Male native frog brooding eggs

Native frog females lay a small number of large eggs in a damp, covered site. As seen here, the males of three of the species (Archey’s, Maud Island and Hamilton’s frogs) guard the eggs continuously while a tadpole grows inside the egg (nourished by the yolk). This then hatches as a well-formed froglet with a tail. In contrast, Hochstetter’s frogs leave the eggs unguarded near flowing water, and the young hatch at a slightly earlier stage of development.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10034449

by Steve Pilkington

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How to cite this page

Paddy Ryan, Frogs – Frogs in New Zealand, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9986/male-native-frog-brooding-eggs (accessed 14 June 2026).

Story by Paddy Ryan, published 1 March 2009.