Crinia signifera

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

This tiny frog species is often heard but rarely seen, it is the most common frog species submitted to FrogID. Reaching up to 3 cm in body length, it is extremely variable in appearance, with a brown, grey, cream, beige, reddish or mustard yellow back, with or without longitudinal stripes, spots or patches. There are small dark triangular patches along the upper lip. The belly is grey, with white and black speckling or mottling. The pupil is nearly round and the iris is gold. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as small clusters in a wide variety of water bodies including streams, flooded ditches, grassland, permanent ponds, and dams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 3.5 cm and are variable in colour and pattern, being spotted or uniform black, gold or grey. Tadpoles remain at the bottom of water bodies, and take around two and a half to three months to develop into frogs. Breeds during any time of the year.

Similar Species

This species looks very similar to many other small frog species and can most easily be distinguished from other Crinia species in particular by its call. Looks most similar to Crinia nimba, Crinia parinsignifera, Crinia sloanei, Crinia tasmaniensis, Crinia tinnula, Geocrinia laevis, Geocrinia victoriana, Pseudophryne bibronii, Uperoleia fusca, Uperoleia laevigata, Uperoleia martini, Uperoleia rugosa, and Uperoleia tyleri in its distribution. It has a different call and belly colour to the Geocrinia species, and lacks the large parotid glands and bright colours in the groin and thighs present in the Uperoleia species. The top of the arms at the shoulder and back of the thighs are a different colour in Pseudophryne bibronii.