Distribution and Habitat

Population and Distribution
Rheobatrachus vitellinus was discovered in January 1984 (Mahony et al. 1984) and was found exclusively in undisturbed rainforest in Eungella NP, mid-E. Queensland at altitudes of 400-1000 m (Covacevich & McDonald 1993). The area of occurrence of R. vitellinus was less than 500 km2 (map in McDonald 1990). The species was considered common across its range until Jan. 1985 when the first signs of decline (reported by Winter and McDonald 1986) were observed at lower altitudes (ie. about 400 m) (McDonald 1990). At higher altitudes the frogs remained common until March 1985 but were absent in June of that year (McDonald 1990). Despite continued efforts to locate the species, Rheobatrachus vitellinus has not been recorded within Eungella NP or any other locations since March 1985 (Ingram and McDonald 1993; McDonald and Alford 1999).

Rheobatrachus vitellinus was formerly known from Eungella NP and Mt Pelion SF (Tyler 1997) and was not recorded on private lands.

Habitat
Rheobatrachus vitellinus was recorded from pristine rainforest where the only form of human disturbance was a poorly defined walking trail (McDonald 1990). The species occurred in first- to third-order streams (McDonald 1990). Individuals were located in shallow, rocky, broken-water areas, in cascades, riffles and trickles, but were absent from the pools of water found between riffles (McDonald 1990). The water in these streams is cool and clear, and individuals hid away beneath or between boulders in the current or in backwaters (Tyler 1989).