Local distribution, habitat, and numbers of the endemic terrestrial frog Leiopelma hamiltoni on Maud Island, New Zealand

Systematic surveys in the 16 ha forest habitat of the Maud Island frog Leiopelma hamiltoni show that frogs are not uniformly distributed throughout the forest. They live at higher densities in the lower section of forest where the forest canopy is higher and rocks more abundant. Other habitat variables have less effect on frog distribution. The minimum population estimate, based on frogs seen out at night on two surveys, is c. 6500, though the actual number present in the forest remnant is estimated to be c. 19 000.