Nature Conservation Act states:
Section 45(2) take a native animal (dead or alive without a licence)
Therefore it is an offence to take tadpoles, but the school can apply for a Licence as the FrogWatch Team have.
‘Animal’ includes amphibians and reptiles, but not invertebrates unless they are listed as protected eg Golden Sun Moth, Perunga Grasshopper.
The fine for taking tadpoles under section 45 is currently $250 for an on the spot fine. In the review of the NC Act that is currently out for public comment
the rangers asked that the fines relate to each individual animal taken (as is the case with the Fisheries Act). So if the changes go through technically the fine would be $250 x however many taddies you have ! Although I doubt any ranger would issue a fine
to a child showing an interest in nature ! If it was an adult taking them for use in pet trade then that would be a different matter. The changes were proposed to deal with, for example, someone shooting a dozen roo’s in Namadgi for the fun of it.
The concern with taking tadpoles is moving them between different water bodies and inadvertently spreading the citrid fungus.
So I suggest they either apply for a Licence or go through FrogWatch.
Michael Maconachie
Senior Ranger
Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve
ACT Parks and Conservation Service
TAMS Directorate
0428 113 533
From: Woo O'Reilly [
Sent: Monday, 9 December 2013 11:01 AM
To: John Leonard
Cc: ; Anke Maria Hoefner
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] Tadpoles for school
The legalities around tadpole collection are a bit murky but best to assume it's illegal as we understand it is species dependent which can be tricky when dealing with tadpoles.
The Frogwatch team (based at Ginninderra Catchment Group) run a program in the 4th and 1st school term that can distribute tadpole kits to schools and then pick them up when they start to metamorphose. They have collection permits and return
the tads to where they collected them. They also use Spotted Marsh Frogs Limnodynastes tasmaniensis
as they metamorphose quickly. You're friend can contact Frogwatch at 6278 3309.
Cheers - Woo
On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 10:10 AM, John Leonard <> wrote:
A friend wants to know if it's illegal to take some tadpoles from a pond, keep them in a tank at a school for a few days and then return them?
John Leonard
*******************************************************************************************************
This is the email announcement and discussion list of the Canberra Ornithologists Group.
Please ensure that emails posted to the list are less than 100 kB in size.
When subscribing or unsubscribing, please insert the word 'Subscribe' or 'Unsubscribe', as applicable, in the email's subject line.
List-Post: <>
List-Help: <>
List-Unsubscribe: <>
List-Subscribe: <>
List archive: <http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds>
List manager: David McDonald, email <>
