Cophixalus monticola

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 2 cm in body length. It has a red-brown, orange-brown, light brown or dark brown back, with dark or pale orange-pink mottling. There is sometimes a pale longitudinal stripe along the middle of the back, and pale eye spots on the lower back. There is a black stripe behind the eye. The belly is orange-brown, white or grey with darker mottling, and the male has a dark throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold or grey-green in the upper half and dark brown in the lower half. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both with large discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as a small cluster on land under leaf litter. The nest is guarded by the male, as it is with other Cophixalus species. Tadpoles never swim in water; instead they develop entirely inside the egg and hatch as little frogs. It is unknown how long they take to develop into frogs, but Cophixalus ornatus eggs have been recorded taking 28 days to hatch. Breeds during spring to summer after rain.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Cophixalus aenigma and Cophixalus hosmeri in its distribution, but is larger than Cophixalus hosmeri and has a different call to both species.