Frogs and Reptiles of the Murray–Darling Basin: A Guide to Their Identification, Ecology and Conservation

By Michael Swan

The Murray–Darling Basin spans more than 1 million square kilometres across the lower third of Queensland, most of New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, northern Victoria and the south-eastern corner of South Australia. Wildlife habitats range from the floodplains of the Basin to alpine areas, making the region of special ecological and environmental interest.

This book is the first comprehensive guide to the 310 species of frogs and reptiles living in the Murray–Darling Basin. An overview of each of the 22 catchment areas introduces the unique and varied climates, topography, vegetation and fauna. Comprehensive species accounts include diagnostic features, conservation ratings, photographs and distribution maps for all frogs, freshwater turtles, lizards and snakes recorded in this important region.

Certificate of Commendation, The Royal Zoological Society of NSW 2020 Whitley Awards: Field Guide

• Language: English
• Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
• Release date: Feb 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781486311347

Michael Swan

Mike Swan was previously a senior herpetofauna keeper with Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary. He is now the coordinator of the Lilydale High School reptile collection, the largest school collection of reptiles and frogs in Australia. He is a keen photographer and has written numerous articles, papers and books about reptiles and frogs, including Frogs and Reptiles of the Murray–Darling Basin (CSIRO Publishing, 2020).

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© Mike Swan 2020

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The author asserts their moral rights, including the right to be identified as the author.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia.

ISBN: 9781486311323 (pbk)

ISBN: 9781486311330 (epdf)

ISBN: 9781486311347 (epub)

Published by:

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Front cover: (left, top to bottom) Crucifix Frog (Notaden bennettii) (photo: S. Mahony), Broad-shelled Turtle (Chelodina expansa) (photo: J. Farquhar), Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) (photo: M. G. Swan); (right) Inland Carpet Python (Morelia spilota metcalfei) (photo: J. Farquhar)

Back cover: (top to bottom) Emerald-spotted Tree Frog (Litoria peroni) (photo: J. Farquhar), Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus levis) (photo: J. Farquhar), Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis) (photo: G. Schmida)

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Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Frogs

Foam-nesting ground frogs (Family Limnodynastidae)

Ground frogs (Family Myobatrachidae)

Tree frogs (Family Pelodryadidae)

True toads (Family Bufonidae)

Freshwater turtles

Side-necked Freshwater Turtles (Family Chelidae)

Lizards

Southern padless geckos (Family Carphodactylidae)

Diplodactylid geckos (Family Diplodactylidae)

Cosmopolitan geckos (Family Gekkonidae)

Flap-footed lizards (Family Pygopodidae)

Skinks (Family Scincidae)

Dragons (Family Agamidae)

Monitor lizards/goannas (Family Varanidae)

Snakes

Blind snakes (Family Typhlopidae)

Pythons (Family Pythonidae)

Colubrid snakes (Family Colubridae)

Venomous land snakes (Family Elapidae)

Species checklist

Glossary

References

Index of common names

Index of scientific names

Preface

This book is the first comprehensive guide to the frogs and reptiles of the Murray–Darling Basin: a massive depression with an area of 1 059 000 km² that spans most of New South Wales, northern Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the lower third of Queensland and the south-eastern corner of South Australia. It examines the 66 species of frogs and 244 reptiles that are found through the 22 smaller catchments that make up the greater Murray–Darling Basin. Each catchment is unique and varies in climate, topography, vegetation and fauna.

The guide has been produced to allow readers to identify the frogs, freshwater turtles, lizards and snakes of the region, using descriptive species accounts, photographs and distribution maps. The species accounts provide descriptions of morphological features of each animal and includes notes on their habitat, behaviour, conservation status and distribution.

The common and scientific names used in the book follow:

•Clulow S, Swan MG (2018), A Complete Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Geographic Holdings, Sydney

•Wilson SK, Swan G (2017) A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia . 5th edn. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

The Murray–Darling Basin is at the forefront of many Australians’ minds as an area of much environmental concern involving government organisations, farmers, politicians, Indigenous Australians, tourist guides and recreational users. The management of water in the system remains the greatest area of debate focusing on availability and quality. The natural flow cycles of the system have been altered over time to improve agriculture but it has come at a cost to the environment.

Frogs in particular are affected by increased salinity, pollutants and the reduction or alteration of wetlands. Reptiles are at risk from changes to habitat by overgrazing, clearing and controlled burning. Also invasive species preying on their eggs and juveniles, resulting in low recruitment.

General information and promotional material on the herpetofauna of this very important region of Australia is limited and suggests the high number of species it contains is greatly under appreciated.

Hopefully this publication will lead to a much better understanding of the diversity of the frogs and reptiles in the Murray–Darling Basin and to more concerted efforts for their long-term conservation.

If you decide to write a book you, are accepting a project that will take over your life until it is completed. No book is ever produced without assistance from colleagues, friends and family.

For their initial support of the project I would like to thank Nick Clemann (Arthur Rylah Institute), Jules Farquhar, Eloise Moir-Ford (CSIRO Publishing) and Steve K. Wilson (Queensland Museum).

For assistance with taxonomy, distribution records and obtaining images: Andrew Amey (Queensland Museum), Scott Eipper (Nature 4 You), Harry Hines, (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) Rod Hobson, Stephen Mahony (Australian Museum), Brendan James Murray, Glenn Shea (University of Sydney), Gerry Swan, Ron Waters and Steve K. Wilson, (Queensland Museum).

For information relating to conservation programs and field studies: Nick Clemann (Arthur Rylah Institute), Dave Hunter (Office of Environment and Heritage), Ricky Spencer (Western Sydney University), Graham Stockfeld (Turtles Australia Inc.) and James Van Dyke (Charles Sturt University).

I am particularly indebted to Stephen Mahony for volunteering to critique the species accounts and his recommendations greatly improved that section. Timothy Swan assisted with proofreading and made suggestions for initial drafts.

Jules Farquhar is the featured photographer and provided the majority of images. His work is outstanding and it has enriched the book. I thank him for his enthusiasm and effort in making available so many wonderful photographs.

I would also like to thank the other photographers who generously provided their images: Marion Anstis, Robert Ashdown, Brian Bush, Matt Clancy, Nick Clemann, Scott Eipper, Damian Goodall, Ken Griffiths, Harry Hines, Dave Hunter, Stephen Mahony, Brad Maryan, Michael McFadden, Daniel O’Brien, Greg Parker, Peter Robertson, Claudia Santori, Gunther Schmida, Graham Stockfeld, Geoff Swan, Philip Topham, Paula Watson, Steve K. Wilson and Stephen Zozaya.

Rachael Hammond produced the illustrations and Marcus Whitby assisted with the distribution maps.

The ongoing support from my wife Stephanie and sons Daniel and Timothy is immeasurable and has enabled me to follow my herpetological interests.

Acknowledgements

If you decide to write a book you, are accepting a project that will take over your life until it is completed. No book is ever produced without assistance from colleagues, friends and family.

For their initial support of the project I would like to thank Nick Clemann (Arthur Rylah Institute), Jules Farquhar, Eloise Moir-Ford (CSIRO Publishing) and Steve K. Wilson (Queensland Museum).

For assistance with taxonomy, distribution records and obtaining images: Andrew Amey (Queensland Museum), Scott Eipper (Nature 4 You), Harry Hines, (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service) Rod Hobson, Stephen Mahony (Australian Museum), Brendan James Murray, Glenn Shea (University of Sydney), Gerry Swan, Ron Waters and Steve K. Wilson, (Queensland Museum).

For information relating to conservation programs and field studies: Nick Clemann (Arthur Rylah Institute), Dave Hunter (Office of Environment and Heritage), Ricky Spencer (Western Sydney University), Graham Stockfeld (Turtles Australia Inc.) and James Van Dyke (Charles Sturt University).

I am particularly indebted to Stephen Mahony for volunteering to critique the species accounts and his recommendations greatly improved that section. Timothy Swan assisted with proofreading and made suggestions for initial drafts.

Jules Farquhar is the featured photographer and provided the majority of images. His work is outstanding and it has enriched the book. I thank him for his enthusiasm and effort in making available so many wonderful photographs.

I would also like to thank the other photographers who generously provided their images: Marion Anstis, Robert Ashdown, Brian Bush, Matt Clancy, Nick Clemann, Scott Eipper, Damian Goodall, Ken Griffiths, Harry Hines, Dave Hunter, Stephen Mahony, Brad Maryan, Michael McFadden, Daniel O’Brien, Greg Parker, Peter Robertson, Claudia Santori, Gunther Schmida, Graham Stockfeld, Geoff Swan, Philip Topham, Paula Watson, Steve K. Wilson and Stephen Zozaya.

Rachael Hammond produced the illustrations and Marcus Whitby assisted with the distribution maps.

The ongoing support from my wife Stephanie and sons Daniel and Timothy is immeasurable and has enabled me to follow my herpetological interests.

Introduction

An overview of the Murray–Darling Basin

Over 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, Australia collided with what are now parts of South America and New Zealand. The entire region was uplifted and created the Eastern Highlands or Great Dividing Range. It is Australia’s most significant mountain range and the third longest land-based range in the world. It extends more than 3500 km from the north-eastern tip of Queensland, down the entire length of the eastern coastline through New South Wales, into Victoria and eventually ends on the central plain at the Grampians in Western Victoria. The width of the range varies from ~160 km to over 300 km.

The highest areas of the Australian continent are in the Great Dividing Range and it was a formidable barrier to westward migration for European settlers until 1813. There is a wide variety of vegetation throughout its length, from rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest to woodlands and alpine grasslands that provide important habitat for a great diversity of wildlife.

Wide-mouthed Frog (Cyclorana novaehollandiae). Photo: M. G. Swan

Rivers that originate in the Great Dividing Range run east into the Pacific Ocean or west into the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB): an area of 1 059 000 km² or 14% of Australia’s total land area. The MDB is a massive depression that spans most of New South Wales, Northern Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory, the lower third of Queensland and the south-eastern corner of South Australia.

The area was first explored by European pioneers Hamilton H. Hume and William H. Hovell in 1824. Five years later, Charles Sturt navigated down the Murrumbidgee River to encounter the Murray River and named it after Sir George Murray when his team reached the connection with the Darling River.

An extract of an account of the journey from Sturt’s diary, published in London in 1833, was typical for the time.

Eastern Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbata). Photo: S. K. Wilson

Unbanded Shovel-nosed Snake (Brachyurophis incinctus). Photo: S. K. Wilson

Peron’s Tree Frog (Litoria peronii). Photo: M. G. Swan

‘The plains were open to the horizon. Views as boundless as the ocean. No timber but here and there a stunted gum or a gloomy cypress. Neither bird nor beast inhabited these lonely regions over which the silence of the grave seemed to reign.’

But there were Indigenous Australians living along the river, as they had been for 40 000 years, and in the World Heritage Willandra Lakes and Mungo National Park north-east of Wentworth and north of Mildura and Balranald. The Mungo region was recognised in 1981 as an important geological area and for its history of Indigenous occupation. The rich resources of the rivers and the adjacent lands maintained a denser population and more settled lifestyle than could be supported in more arid areas.

After this early exploration period the development of the agricultural districts of inland New South Wales began and today the MDB is an area of great productivity for agriculture, logging and mining. It is Australia’s most important agricultural region, containing over 40% of Australian farms that produce wool, cotton, wheat, sheep, cattle, dairy produce, rice, oil-seed, wine, fruit and vegetables for both domestic and international markets.

Over two million people live in the Murray–Darling Basin, from the national capital Canberra to many of Australia’s major inland towns including Toowoomba, Tamworth, Dubbo, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga, Shepparton and Bendigo.

The climate is subtropical in the north, semi-arid in the west and mostly temperate in the south.

Water is the most valuable resource in the Murray–Darling river system, with the majority of it flowing in from along the southern and eastern rim. About 85% of the vast catchment has almost no regular run-off into rivers.

The MDB is the largest and most complex river system in Australia and contains Australia’s three longest rivers: the Murray (2508 km), Murrumbidgee (1690 km) and the Darling/Barwon river system (2740 km). All the rivers have very low gradients over most of their length, causing them to flow slowly.

Water quality is paramount and threats to water quality include high salinity because large quantities of salt occur naturally. Floodplains are an important feature of the Basin because floodplain vegetation uses groundwater in the soil profile and prevents water and salts rising to the surface or being transported to the river.

Murray–Darling Basin showing major rivers and towns

Increased salinity into the Basin’s water resources is often increased by activities such as irrigation development and land clearing.

Major threats to the flora and fauna of the MDB include the quantity of water removed from the river systems, habitat loss and alteration, exotic invasive species and diseases.

The Murray–Darling Basin catchments

The large depression of the MDB receives all the water from inland-flowing streams, creeks and rivers. Water from the northern catchment flows into the Darling River and water from the southern catchment flows into the Murray River. There are 22 major catchments (or sub-basins) within the Murray–Darling Basin. Although most of the major rivers flow into either the Darling or the Murray, some, such as the Paroo, Lachlan and Wimmera, terminate in wetlands or marshes. The water from these rivers only reaches the Darling or the Murray in years of extremely heavy rainfall.

The topography and vegetation can vary between the different catchments, with floodplain forests, woodlands and wetlands requiring different amounts of water throughout the year. Water management in rivers with monitored flows have affected the type, diversity and nature of plant communities along the rivers and floodplains. This has resulted in a decline of species such as River Red Gums, Black Box and Lignum shrublands.

Murray–Darling Basin showing the different catchments. Source: Murray–Darling Basin Authority (https://www.mdba.gov.au/discover-basin/catchments). CC-BY4.0

Paroo Catchment

The Paroo River catchment is in the north-west corner of the MDB and spreads roughly equally across Queensland and northern New South Wales. Annual rainfall is low, with averages of 200–400 mm across the catchment. Most of the rain falls in the northern area and occurs in summer and autumn and has a very high evaporation rate.

The Paroo River is 600 km long and contributes only 2% of the total water to the system. The headwaters are at an elevation of 330 m in the Warrego Range, west of Charleville. From there it flows across semi-arid plains with little surface water being mostly a series of waterholes, lakes and wetlands, some which are permanently wet. The Paroo River tributaries include the Beechal, Yowan and Qulberry, and part of the Cuttaburra Creek, and it is the last free-flowing river in the Murray–Darling Basin. The river terminates on the floodplains south of the town of Wanaaring in the top north-west corner of New South Wales. In very wet years the waters of the Paroo will flow to reach the Darling River, between the towns of Louth and Wilcannia.

The landscape consists of undulating red soil plains with mulga scrub and shrubland. Eucalypt and gidgee occur along the waterways with the dominant eucalypt species being River Red Gum, Coolabah and Poplar Box. In the lower reaches of the catchment many types of wetland vegetation are found, including Black Box, River Cooba and a variety of grasses. Significant wetlands occur throughout the catchment including Currawinya Lakes, Nocoleche Nature Reserve and Peery Lake. River flow is important to these habitats and critical to retaining a good diversity of wildlife.

Paroo River, New South Wales. Photo: R. Ashdown

There are 17 frog species and 76 reptile species recorded from the Paroo River Catchment. The conditions of the catchment are semi-arid with low rainfall, so about half the frog species are burrowing frogs. Other types of frogs are dependent on creek lines, semi-permanent waterholes, lakes and wetlands for survival. Three species of freshwater turtles occur around waterways and there is good representation from each lizard family. Blind snakes, venomous land snakes and pythons are also present. Some arid-adapted species that occur only in the Paroo Catchment are the Eastern Deserts Fat-tailed Gecko (Diplodactylus ameyi), Variable Fat-tailed Gecko (Diplodactylus conspicillatus), Saltbush Slender Blue-tongue (Cyclodomorphus venustus), Noonbah Robust Slider (Lerista emmotti) and Smooth-snouted Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis intima).

Wide-mouthed Frog (Cyclorana novaehollandiae). Photo: M. G. Swan

Eastern Deserts Fat-tailed Gecko (Diplodactylus ameyi). Photo: S. Mahony

Smooth-snouted Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis intima). Photo: S. K. Wilson

Warrego Catchment

The Warrego catchment is located in the north-west of the Murray–Darling Basin, with most of its area in Queensland and the remainder in New South Wales. Annual rainfall is low, ranging from 500 mm in the north-east to 250 mm on the plains of the lower catchment. Most of the rain falls in the north, mainly in summer and autumn and evaporation in the region is high.

The Warrego River is 1380 km long and its headwaters are around 600 m in the Carnarvon Range near Tambo in South-East Queensland. It flows south across semi-arid plains, being joined by 37 intermittent tributaries. In years of heavy rainfall it joins up with the Darling River downstream from Bourke. Sometimes water from Cuttaburra Creek enters the lower reaches of the Paroo River.

Warrego River near Cunnamulla, Queensland. Photo: J. Carnemolla

The towns of Augathella, Charleville, Wyandra and Cunnamulla are located on the banks of the Warrego River. The predominant land use is low-intensity grazing of sheep and cattle as the river’s flow is much too inconsistent to establish irrigated crops. Generally, groundwater resources within the region are of poor quality and are not suitable for large-scale irrigation.

Vegetation varies from clay soil grasslands to saltbush with predominantly mulga shrubland and areas of brigalow in the north. Waterways support cypress pine woodlands and gidgee along floodplains. In the lower reaches of the catchment, River Red Gum, Coolibah, cane grass, Lignum and River Cooba grow along channels and in wetlands. The Warrego River waterholes are a string of large permanent and semi-permanent waterholes which are usually flooded seasonally. There are ~300 000 ha of wetlands in the Warrego Catchment consisting of saline lakes, Lignum swamps, flood channels, freshwater lakes, claypans and water holes. Twelve wetlands are considered of national significance including the Yantabulla Swamp and the Warrego River waterholes. Large populations of waterbirds inhabit the waterholes during periods of high flows and they are also important Indigenous cultural sites.

There are 19 frog species and 71 reptile species recorded from the Warrego River Catchment. Much of the area consists of semi-arid plains with low annual rainfall. The clay soil grasslands and mulga shrubland provide important habitat for frogs and reptiles. Burrowing frogs are well represented along with other frog species and three freshwater turtle species that are mostly dependent upon semi-permanent and permanent waterways. Each of the five lizard families occur here and also blind snakes, pythons and venomous land snakes. Most species are wide-ranging throughout the catchment.

Short-footed Frog (Cyclorana brevipes). Photo: S. Zozaya

Smooth Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus levis). Photo: J. Farquhar

Stimson’s Python (Antaresia stimsoni orientalis). Photo: J. Farquhar

Condamine-Balonne Catchment

The Condamine–Balonne rivers catchment is one of the largest catchments in the MDB and home to almost 10% of the human population of the Basin. Most of the catchment is located in Queensland, with less than 20% extending into northern New South Wales. The Condamine River, with a length of 1195 km, rises in the Great Dividing Range at 1400 m then flows north-west to Dalby and Chinchilla. From there it continues south-west to the plains where it joins Dogwood Creek and becomes the Balonne River near Surat. The Maranoa River rises in the Carnarvon National Park and flows south-east through the town of Mitchell before joining the Balonne River at Lake Kajarabie (Beardmore Dam) just upstream of St George. Beyond this point the Balonne River becomes a network of channels, waterholes and floodplains that form the Narran, Bokhara, Ballandool and Culgoa rivers. In times of very high flow, the Bokhara and Culgoa rivers flow into the Barwon–Darling River downstream of Brewarrina.

Lake Broadwater, Queensland. Photo: M. G. Swan

Flooded black soil plains, Dalby, Queensland. Photo: M. G. Swan

The major towns in the catchment are Warwick, Toowoomba, Dalby, Roma and St George. This region has enormous agricultural diversity, with a wide range of winter and summer crops produced on the Darling Downs, as well as very large cotton production areas in the west. The landscape of the Condamine–Balonne catchment is diverse, with tablelands of the dividing range in the east, gorges in the north-west and semi-arid plains in the south-west. In the eastern part of the catchment the annual average rainfall is 600–800 mm and the floodplains of the south-west receive an average 300–500 mm. Rainfall throughout the catchment is heaviest over summer and the climate is subtropical. Evaporation rates in the south-west of the catchment are very high.

Wetlands of national importance include the Great Artesian Basin Springs, Lake Broadwater, The Gums Lagoon, the Culgoa River Floodplain and Dalrymple and Blackfellow creeks.

The Condamine–Balonne Catchment has a diverse herpetofauna, with 43 frog species and 147 reptile species. The catchment’s extensive floodplains have important vegetation communities, including brigalow–gidgee woodland and shrubland, which provide habitat for a large range of frogs and reptiles. The western slopes of the Great Dividing Range are part of the MDB and have areas of montane subtropical rainforest, which are occupied by some rainforest herpetofauna. In the floodplains and woodlands habitat, species such as the Striped Burrowing Frog (Cyclorana alboguttata), Yakka Skink (Egernia rugosa) and Pale-headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus) may be observed.

Striped Burrowing Frog (Cyclorana alboguttata). Photo: M. G. Swan

Yakka Skink (Egernia rugosa). Photo: J. Farquhar

Pale-headed Snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus). Photo: J. Farquhar

Moonie Catchment

The Moonie River Catchment is the smallest of the northern catchments, with most of the area in Queensland. The Moonie River flows from an altitude of 350 m at its source on the Southern Downs across south-west Queensland, through a slightly undulating landscape into northern New South Wales. It is joined by 13 minor tributaries before merging with the Barwon River downstream of Mungindi. It is a simple channel system of unconnected waterholes throughout most of the year. However, there are more than 100 wetlands with significant habitat along the Moonie River floodplain.

Brigalow woodlands, Lake Broadwater, Queensland. Photo: M. G. Swan

The region is semi-arid with a warm to hot climate and an average annual rainfall of 500–600 mm. Rainfall can vary significantly from year to year, resulting in irregular and infrequent river flows. The catchment has been heavily cleared and impacted by agricultural development with eroded riverbanks and riparian zones. Vegetation includes remnant areas of brigalow scrub, mixed eucalypt woodland areas and open grasslands.

It is sparsely populated, with less than 0.1% of the people in the Basin living in the region. Towns include Moonie and Thallon, where a weir was built over the river in 1959 to supply town water. Small to medium weirs are dispersed along the river for irrigation purposes, predominantly for cotton. Beef cattle are the major source of income and employment in the region though a small area of the catchment is irrigated, mainly for cotton or pasture. Cereal crops and plantation forestry also contribute to the regional economy.

The Moonie River Catchment may be small, but it still has 22 frog species and 68 reptile species. It is part of the Southern Brigalow Belt: a region where ~60% of the original vegetation has been cleared over the last 200 years. This has resulted in plant and animal communities, including several species of endemic reptiles, becoming threatened. The catchment contains important habitat for species such as the Brigalow Scaly-foot (Paradelma orientalis), Golden-tailed Gecko (Strophurus taenicauda) and Dunmall’s Snake (Furina dunmalli).

Brigalow Scaly-foot (Paradelma orientalis). Photo: G. Schmida

Golden-tailed Gecko (Strophurus taenicauda). Photo: J. Farquhar

Dunmall’s Snake (Furina dunmalli). Photo: G. Schmida

Border Rivers Catchment

The Border Rivers Catchment is diverse and consists of a group of rivers in the north-eastern region of the New South Wales and Queensland border. The rivers of the catchment rise on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range at heights of 1500 m and run westwards, gradually merging with one another to become the Barwon River on the floodplains upstream of Mungindi. Major tributaries are the Macintyre River, Dumaresq River, Severn River (NSW), Severn River (Qld), Macintyre Brook and Weir River. A 450 km section of the Dumaresq, Macintyre and the Barwon rivers form the border between Queensland and New South Wales.

Severn River, New South Wales. Photo: S. Mahony

The eastern part of the catchment, where most of the rivers rise, has an annual average rainfall of 800–1100 mm, compared with the semi-arid floodplains to the west that receive an average of around 500 mm. Rainfall throughout the catchment is heaviest in summer and the climate is described as subtropical to temperate at higher altitudes.

The catchment is home to ~2.5% of the human population of the Basin and major towns include Goondiwindi, Stanthorpe, Tenterfield, Glen Innes and Inverell. Agriculture is well established throughout the catchment and is a diverse primary industry. The larger towns and agriculture are the main users of water and there are many small weirs and regulators throughout the catchment that supply water for domestic and stock use. Dams were built in the 1960s and 1970s for flood mitigation and irrigation water supply to the plains. Since that time, river flows in the catchment have been highly regulated.

Native vegetation communities in the Border Rivers Catchment are largely determined by a combination of rainfall and temperature. Woodlands and forests are the most common, but heaths, shrublands, swamps, grasslands and rainforests are all represented.

Rivers and wetlands of the region provide important habitat for frogs and include the nationally significant Morella Watercourse, Boobera Lagoon and Pungbougal Lagoon located on the Macintyre River floodplain, and are considered among the most important sites for Indigenous people in eastern Australia.

The Border Rivers Catchment has 36 species of frogs and 101 species of reptiles with several areas of herpetological interest, such as the massive granite outcrops at Girraween. This habitat contains many species of frogs and reptiles including the New England Tree Frog (Litoria subglandulosa), Bell’s Turtle (Wollumbinia