A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 3.5 cm in body length. It has a light grey or nearly black back, with dark brown or pale brown patches. There is often an indistinct, pale brown longitudinal stripe along the middle of the head. There is sometimes a yellow patch under the eye. The belly is dark brown and covered with tiny bluish-grey spots; the male has a nearly black throat. The pupil is nearly round, and the iris is gold or gold-brown. The tops of the arms at the shoulder are yellow, and the groin and the backs of the thighs are bright yellow. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both with small discs. The parotoid glands on the shoulders are very large.
Eggs are laid singly on vegetation under the surface of the water in ponds, swamps, and flooded grassland. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 4 cm, and are nearly black in colour. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies. It is unknown how long they take to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to summer.
Looks similar to Uperoleia laevigata and Uperoleia tyleri in and near its distribution, but has a different belly colour to Uperoleia laevigata and a different call to Uperoleia tyleri.
Photo: Stephen Mahony
Photo: Stephen Mahony
By: Renee Catullo
By: Stephen Mahony
Found only along the east coast of VIC and southernmost coast of NSW.