TWO threatened frog species living around the Mitchell Shire are being studied to investigate the effects of the Black Saturday bushfires on native wildlife.

Nick Clemann from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research secured funding to investigate the number of Southern and Bibron’s Toadlets in and near the Kilmore East-Murrindindi fire areas.

Both frog species are unique to south-east Australia and are known for walking on all four legs rather than hopping.

Mr Clemann said it was important to understand the effects of the fire on both species, as they bred on land in logs and grasses that were burnt in the fires.

“We had increasing reports from frog experts that these species were being seen and heard less and less as years go by,” Mr Clemann said.

“Unfortunately we haven’t had a lot of population data to go off as this species has only come onto our radar in the last few years.”

Fieldwork began in March and has so far visited 90 sites with another 10 before the project is completed next week.

“Our results aren’t conclusive yet but the bottom line is that very few have turned up so far,” Mr Clemann said.

“We’ve only had a single site where Southern has turned up and three where we have found the Bibron’s Toadlet. All four of those sites are in unburnt areas.”

Mr Clemann now hopes to secure more funding to continue the surveys next season.

“To determine the impact of a major event like fire you need to know what the conditions were before the event. With the toadlets, we aren’t finding many but we don’t know how many there were before the fire went through,” he said.

“Our interest from here is to monitor populations and see whether they can recover over time.”

The project is one of 25 funded by the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority’s (VBRRA) Natural Values Fire Recovery Program. The $4.8 million program aims to help some of the most threatened wildlife species recover from the effects of the 2009 bushfires.