A large species of frog reaching up to 10 cm in body length. It has a grey or brown back, with dark brown mottling, and an indistinct longitudinal stripe along the middle. There is often a brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the arm. The belly is white. The pupil is horizontal and the iris is gold. The backs of the thighs are grey or pale blue. Fingers are unwebbed, and toes are one-third webbed, both without discs. The head and mouth are particularly large.
Eggs are laid as large clusters that sink in shallow areas of flooded ditches, creek pools, and dams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 9.5 cm and are light brown or gold in colour. They are often found at all levels of water bodies, and take around one month to develop into frogs, although tadpoles in warmer areas may develop faster. Breeds during spring to summer after heavy rain.
Looks similar to the many Cyclorana species in its distribution, but is generally larger than all except Cyclorana australis, which has brown patterns on the back of the thighs not present in Cyclorana novaehollandiae .
Photo: Stephen Mahony
Photo: Jodi Rowley
Photo: Jodi Rowley
By: Dave Stewart
Found throughout QLD and a small area of northwestern NSW.