Armoured Frog

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Armoured Frog

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Hylidae
Genus:	Litoria
Species:	L. lorica

Binomial name

Litoria lorica
Davies and McDonald, 1979

Distribution of the Armoured Frog

The Armoured Frog (Litoria lorica) is a species of tree frog that is in the Torrent Frog (Litoria nannotis) complex, a complex that is restricted to north-eastern Queensland, Australia.

1 Distribution
2 Physical Description
3 Behaviour and Ecology
4 References

[edit] Distribution

This species was known from four localities: Alexandra Creek , Hilda Creek (Cape Tribulation NP), Roaring Meg Cascades and Mossman Bluff Creek (Daintree NP), north-eastern QLD Australia (between 640m and 1000m in altitude) and the historical extent of the species only was 120km². This species hasn't been seen since 1991, despite attempts to relocate it.

[edit] Physical Description

It is a small tree frog growing up to 37mm in length. It is grey or grey-brown on the dorsal surface and white on the ventral surface. The skin is tubercular on the dorsal surface, prominently on the eyelids and around the tympanum. Fingers are half webbed and toes are fully webbed, both having well developed discs. The tympanum is small and indistinct and a vocal sac is not present. Males have black, spiny nuptial pads on their thumbs and 'accessory' spines on their chests, these spines are used in amplexus, in order for the males to attain a better grip of the female.

[edit] Behaviour and Ecology

This species is associated with fast flowing creeks and streams in rainforests in northern Queensland. The call for this species is unknown, however is likely to be similar to that of the closely related Waterfall Frog, (Litoria nannotis). Tadpoles of this species are undescribed although would look similar to those of L. nannotis - with a large oral disc and a streamlined body, an adaptation to fast flowing streams. This species along with Taudactylus rheophilus, T. acutirostris as well some closely related species (including Litoria nannotis, L. nyakalensis and L. rheocola) have also declined in flowing creeks in highland rainforest in the same general area that is inhabited by L. lorica around the early 1990's. The reason for decline of these species is not known, but it is believed that disease caused by Chytrid fungus may be a factor.