Uperoleia altissima

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a brown or grey back, with dark brown patches. There is a brown V-shaped marking between the eyes, and a brown stripe from the tip of the snout the eye. There is sometimes a small, pale brown-yellow stripe from the edge of the mouth to the arm. The side of the head is sometimes white. The belly is grey with white specks, and the male has a dark brown throat. The pupil is round, and the iris is gold. The legs have horizontal bars. The groin and the backs of the thighs are bright red. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs. The parotoid glands are small and sometimes pale brown-yellow.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid singly and attached to vegetation under the surface of the water in temporary ponds and creeks. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 3 cm and are brown in colour, with a distinct V-shaped marking between the eyes. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies, and take around one to two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during summer.

Similar Species

Looks very similar to Uperoleia mimula, Uperoleia lithomoda, and Uperoleia littlejohni in its distribution, but has a different call to Uperoleia lithomoda and Uperoleia littlejohni. The best way to differentiate it from Uperoleia littlejohni and Uperoleia mimula is by DNA testing.