A small species of frog reaching up to 2.5 cm in body length. It has a light brown, reddish-brown or dark brown back, with or without pale, dark, or reddish patches or longitudinal stripes. There is often a dark brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the side. The belly is white, with small dark brown patches and spots. The male has a grey-brown throat. The pupil is nearly round, and the iris is gold. The legs have horizontal bars. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs.
Eggs are laid as a single layer under rocks in slow-flowing creeks. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 4 cm, and are dark brown, gold-brown, or nearly black in colour. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies, and it is unknown how long they take to develop into frogs. Breeds during late winter to late spring.
Looks similar to Crinia signifera in its distribution, but has a different call. Also looks very similar to Crinia flindersensis, which has a slightly different distribution and can otherwise only be distinguished from Crinia riparia by DNA testing.
Photo: Stephen Mahony
Photo: Stephen Mahony
Photo: Grant Webster
By: Scott Werner
Found in the southern Flinders Ranges, in SA.