Magnificent Tree Frog

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

A rather large tree frog (10 cm). Colour ranges from dark olive to bright green on its back, with scattered yellow or white blotches. The inner surfaces of the arms, legs and groin are bright orange-yellow. The belly is white and granular. A huge gland entirely covers the top of the head. The skin on the back is smooth and the finger and toe pads are large. The fingers are slightly webbed and the toes are three-quarters webbed. Species color may vary depending on region found.

It breeds early in the wet season at the onset of monsoon rains (December and January). A female lays in the average about 1000 eggs in floating clumps that form a single layer on the surface of the water. Larvae take 1 - 4 months to develop depending on the time the eggs were laid.

Did you know?
that Litoria splendida males produce the substance Spendipherin? Released into the surrounding water this Pheromone has an attractive effect on the females of this species, already in smallest amounts.

Factsheet
Class	AMPHIBIA
Order	ANURA
Suborder	NEOBATRACHIA
Family	HYLIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Litoria splendida
Name (English)	Magnificent Tree Frog
Name (French)	Magnifique Grenouille d’Arbre
Name (German)	Prachtlaubfrosch
Name (Spanish)	Rana arbórea australiana
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Stewart Macdonald

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Australia (from the Kimberley Region, Western Australia, and northwestern Northern Territory to Bradshaw Station).
Habitat	They can be found in a large variety of moist forest habitats and rural and urban environments, sheltering during daytime in caves, gorges, crevices beneath boulders and areas of low rainfall from 0 up to 600 m. They also tend to live in and around buildings, bathrooms, shower blocks, toilets, and other sites where there is water.
Wild population	An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is >50000 individuals. Population size stable or suspected to be stable or increasing. However Australia has recently lost two frog species (to extinction) due to Chytrid fungus and currently 52% of the remaining Australian threatened frog species are infected with this disease (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2004 ). The disease occurs globally, including south western Australia and the Kimberley region in the north of the state. Also in the Kimberley there is the imminent arrival of the poisonous, introduced Cane Toad that could result in the significant depletion or extinction of several native frog species.
Zoo population	It is sometimes bred in captivity in Australian zoos.

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 45 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.