FrogID FAQs
We are excited to hear you’re interested in contributing to FrogID.
There might be a few questions you have around the project. Review the list below to see if you can find an answer quickly so you can get started with FrogID.
GENERAL Q&A
FrogID is Australia’s first national frog identification project, created by the Australian Museum, focused on frog calls. It is a citizen science project that enables registered users with a smartphone to submit audio recordings of frogs, whenever they hear them. These recordings are then listened to and identified by one or more frog call experts at the Australian Museum, and the user is notified of what species of frog they recorded. The FrogID app also captures date, time and location data that informs scientists and conservation biologists on frog distribution and breeding behaviour.
For a detailed guide on how to use FrogID, visit here.
For a video on how to use FrogID, visit here.
Every year, the national FrogID dataset undergoes an extensive update and data-cleaning process by the Australian Museum herpetology team. The updated dataset is published on the FrogID website, and shared with the Atlas of Living Australia and state, territory and federal wildlife atlases through data license agreements. This ensures the expert-verified FrogID records are made available for informing state and national biodiversity conservation decisions.
Frogs like bugs, but we don’t! We work with developers as often as our resources allow to update and upgrade our systems, but unfortunately it is not always perfect across all devices. Some issues that are commonly encountered include:
- Some users cannot see/access all of the content – this usually occurs when the offline content has not been downloaded and the app doesn’t have a secure connection to access it from the cloud. Please make sure you hit yes when the app asks you to download offline content.
- From time to time the app may crash (or involuntarily exit you) – this can be related to it trying to process too much information. Sometimes navigating too quickly, particularly when the connection is poor. Please be patient as each screen loads, especially when you first open the app.
- The app doesn’t work on all devices – unfortunately while we have done our best to make the app as accessible as possible, as technology changes so too does compatibility. We try to stay as up to date as possible. The app should be functional on smartphone operating systems iOS 10.2.1 and Android 5.0 and above. The app is currently not designed to be compatible with tablet devices.
There are some simple trouble shooting options that all users can try if you encounter problems with the app, such as force-closing the app prior to reopening it, turning the phone off and back on again, and upgrading to the latest app version.
DELETING AND RE-INSTALLING THE APP WILL REMOVE ALL THE NOT YET SUBMITTED
RECORDING DATA ON YOUR PHONE, THIS SHOULD ONLY EVER BE DONE AS A LAST
RESORT, AND ONLY IF YOU ARE PREPARED FOR DATA TO BE LOST.
If you continue to have issues with the app, or your problem is not listed above, please email us at calls@frogid.net.au with the following information and we will do our best to help you from there:
- User name or email
- Description of the issue
- The make and model of the mobile device
- What operating software is installed on your device
- Which version of the FrogID app you are using (this is located under settings on Android devices and under Storage on iOS devices)
Like many apps, FrogID uses data on your device. Uploading and downloading content via a WiFi network is the fastest and cheapest option. Anyone using FrogID should consider their own data use, so please check your personal phone plan to understand your data allocation and any potential data charges that may apply to downloading and using the FrogID app.
The app doesn’t yet have an in-built automatic identification function (we’re working on it!). When you record a frog, based on the location, habitat and water body filters you enter, the app filters the potential matches for you (you can skip the filters if you like!).
When you submit a recording to us, at least one member of our team of scientists will then listen to the call and identify what frog species they hear. You will then get an email informing you what species have been verified. The info will also show up in your FrogID profile on the app and FrogID website (www.frogid.net.au/login).
It is super important that you submit records even if you know what species of frog they are, as this increases our data, and helps researchers and land-managers better understand and conserve Australia’s frogs.
Every FrogID submission is listened to by one or more frog call experts at the Australian Museum. Depending on the species recorded and time of year, FrogID submissions can take a few days to a few weeks to be confirmed.
Since November 2023, FrogID has received thousands of submissions each week (which is great!). Every recording is important, will be listened to, and will contribute to our database informing frog conservation. Please keep recording if you can thank you so much for your patience with us.
If your FrogID submissions are for urgent biodiversity reporting purposes, let us know and we will aim to escalate these for you.
Thank you for your recordings!
FrogID relies on frog calls recorded with the FrogID app. The app uses the smartphone technology to automatically apply all the scientific information we need against the recording, including time, date, geolocation and GPS accuracy. As such, external recordings cannot be added to the FrogID database.
This forms part of FrogID's standardised methods, which can be reached in the scientific publication below.
You can record calling frogs at any time with the FrogID app. If you do not have reception simply hit the submit button after making the recording and it will be sent next time you open the app when you have reception. If you are not logged in while the recording is made, next time you have reception and open the app, log in and submit recordings in the ‘Not Submitted’ folder in your profile.
To continue recording on iOS devices. select the Record button again after recording. On Android devices, select 'back' then Record.
If recordings are found in your Submitted: Pending Upload folder, select 'Sync Recordings' to help push them along. Please contact us if you experience any issues.
While we love seeing images of frogs and their habitats alongside your FrogID recordings, FrogID relies on frog calls recorded with the FrogID app to verify species. Every frog species in Australia makes a unique call and many frog species are indistinguishable by appearance alone. Through FrogID frog call recordings we can identify frog species with high accuracy, minimise disturbance to frogs and their habitat, and build vital information for frog conservation, such as the breeding seasons and breeding habitats of frogs.
We encourage image-only submissions to iNaturalist at www.inaturalist.org. Both iNaturalist and FrogID submit research-grade records to the Atlas of Living Australia for research and conservation purposes.
There are two ways to set up an account, either in the profile section of the FrogID app or at the login page on the website (https://www.frogid.net.au/login). Once you have an account you are free to contribute frog calls as often as you like.
When you sign up to FrogID you will need to verify the email address that you used to sign up. Not doing this will prevent you from submitting calls and being able to log in to your account. If you have not received an email in your inbox, please:
- check you junk/spam folder, or
- contact calls@frogid.net.au with your user name and email address you tried to set up and we will help you out.
- Using the FrogID Mobile App: Access your Profile screen within the FrogID mobile app. There, you can make the necessary edits to your account details.
- Via the FrogID Website: You can also log into your FrogID account on the FrogID website at www.frogid.net.au/login. Once logged in, navigate to the "Edit Profile" section to make the desired changes.
Please note, to stop receiving FrogID eNewsletters to your former email address, you will need to select the "unsubscribe" option at the bottom of the eNewsletter.
View the folders on your FrogID app, or log into your account via the FrogID website at www.frogid.net.au/login and navigate to My Captures. The web profile is where you can view and export all your FrogID records.
Note: FrogID submits expert-verified data to Atlas of Living Australia and state wildlife atlases on an annual basis. Please do not upload your FrogID data to these resources to avoid duplication.
You can delete recordings from your mobile device to save storage - all submitted FrogID recordings stay on our database and on your web profile.
To listen to your recordings, or to download a copy of the audio file, select the play icon under Media. Please note, recordings cannot be edited once submitted to the FrogID database.
More information on web profile features introduced in 2022 can be reached here: https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/frogid-web-features/
Only FrogID group owners can export FrogID group submissions. To view your FrogID group submissions and to export the group data, log into your account via the FrogID website at www.frogid.net.au/login
- navigate to Groups
- search and select your FrogID group
- select the orange Calls Submitted box
- select Export group captures to download group data in csv file format
Note: FrogID submits expert-verified data to Atlas of Living Australia and state wildlife atlases on an annual basis. Please do not upload your FrogID data to these resources to avoid duplication.
More information on web profile features introduced in 2022 can be reached here: https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/frogid-web-features/
After recording, select the Null Record option on the filters screen and then select Submit. Please only select the Null Record option when:
- you are certain that no frogs are calling.
- at a site where you have heard frogs before, or you suspect they are there at other times.
Please only submit one null record per day per site.
Learn more about FrogID absence records at https://australian.museum/blog/amri-news/absence-records-frogid-app/
The simple answer is – when you hear a frog calling, record it with FrogID!
After rain is often the best time to hear frogs. Spring and Summer is breeding season for many frog species, while others call only in Autumn and/or Winter months, and some species call year-round. We want to hear your local frogs all year round to understand what is in your area and when they are breeding.
Many Australian frog species are nocturnal and will only call at night – the first few hours after dark is the best time to hear frogs. However, there are always exceptions to the rule and you may find some species calling during the day, particularly during wet weather.
We want you to send in recordings as frequently as possible. Ideally, once per day in the same location is good, but if you hear a different species calling after already having made a recording in that spot, then record that one too. Recording our common species often is valuable to science as it helps understand trends and if anything is changing over time.
Male frogs call to attract females of their own species to breed, and frogs prefer to breed near water. Streams, ponds, dams, wetlands are all good places to start.
You can use the "Near me" filter on the FrogID app to learn about your local frogs and what habitats they like.
You can also explore the interactive spatial coverage map of FrogID records and help fill imporant science data gaps by recording in uncoloured areas where possible.
One of the reasons that frog populations are declining is disease, in particular a type of fungus called the amphibian chytrid fungus. This fungus attacks the skin of frogs and can cause them to die. The amphibian chytrid fungus is thought to be one of the main factors that four of Australia’s frog species are now Extinct.
The amphibian chytrid fungus can be spread by touching one frog and then another, or
on your boots, clothing or equipment. To ensure that you don’t spread disease, it’s important not to touch frogs and to disinfect your boots and equipment between sites, avoid heading off track into the frog’s habitat too.
The introduced Cane Toad (Rhinella marina) is a type of frog, and if a Cane Toad is calling, please record it with the FrogID app. This information is shared with biosecurity agencies and groups researching Cane Toad populations across Australia, helping us understand the current distribution and impact of this introduced species. The FrogID app acts as an early warning system for any Cane Toads accidentally transported outside of their known range.
If you have Cane Toads in your area, regular FrogID recordings will help. There are some great examples of what a Cane Toad sounds like on the FrogID app or website.
If you record a Cane Toad outside of it's known distribution in Australia, our team will alert your state's biosecurity agencies.
The "Archive" option is available in the following folders on the FrogID mobile app:
- Uploaded: Pending Verification
- Verified: Frog
- Verified: Not a Frog
- Verified: Unidentified
The "Archive" function can remove the recording from your device (for example, to save storage). It will not delete the recording from the FrogID database since it has already been submitted and uploaded. The “Archive” icon is different to the “Delete/Trash” icon. Only Submitted recordings can be archived.
Yes you can, you are able to delete your FrogID account from the profile section of the FrogID website (there is a link to this in the app). This will remove all identifiable information from your records, however FrogID will retain the recordings and associated data to use in our research. Please be aware, you will not be able to get any future access to your past records once you have deleted your account.