Litoria ridibunda

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 6cm in body length. It has a grey, brown, reddish-brown or yellow-brown back, often with pale brown mottling. There is often a thin black stripe from behind the eye to the arm. The belly is white, and the male has a white throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is red in the upper half, and silver in the lower half. The armpits, groin, and back of the thighs are dull, matte brown or black, with bright orange or yellow patches. Fingers are one-third webbed and toes are nearly fully webbed, both with large discs. This species was previously considered to be Litoria rothii , but recent research involving the Australian Museum and using FrogID recordings (published October 2023) has revealed the two species to be distinct, with western populations formerly throught to be Litoria rothii now known to be Litoria ridibunda.

Breeding Biology

Breeding mostly occurs on the edges of permanent ponds or temporarily flooded areas, although this species occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including swamps and creeklines. Eggs are laid singly, or in small clusters under the surface of the water near the edges of permanent ponds or temporarily flooded areas. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 10cm, and are yellow or brown in colour, sometimes with bright red dots on the tail. They often remain at the surface of water bodies, and take around two months to develop into frogs. Breeding occurs during spring and summer, during the Australian Monsoon Tropics wet season.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Litoria rothii, but distinguished by geographical distribution, genetics and thigh colouration. Where Litoria rothii has glossy brown or black thighs with bright orange or yellow patches, Litoria ridibunda has matte brown or black thighs with bright orange or yellow patches. Litoria ridibunda has a longer call (an average of 9-18 notes) compared to Litoria rothii (an average of 5-10 notes).