Blue Mountains Tree Frog

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Blue Mountains Tree Frog

Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Litoria
Species: L. citropa
Binomial name
Litoria citropa
Duméril & Bibron, 1841
Distribution of the Blue Mountains Tree Frog
Distribution of the Blue Mountains Tree Frog
Synonyms

Litoria jenolanensis
Copland , 1957

The Blue Mountains Tree Frog, (Litoria citropa) is a species of tree frog native to coastal and highland areas of eastern Australia, from just south of Newcastle NSW, to eastern VIC.

Contents

[edit] Physical Description

A green morph of Litoria citropa
A green morph of Litoria citropa

This is a moderate sized frog, up to about 60 mm in length. Its dorsal surface is brown with a few darker flecks. There is a dark stripe that runs from the nostril, above the tympanum, to the groin. There is a lighter golden stripe above and adjacent to the dark stripe. The frog normally green on the side of the head (under the eye), side and arms and legs. The amount of green on an individual frog can range from almost none at all to an all green colour morph (see images, both frogs from the same site). The green colour can occasionally be aqua-green. The armpit, thigh, groin and inner section of the foot are bright red-orange in colour. The belly is white.

[edit] Ecology & Behaviour

Blue Mountains Tree Frogs in amplexus.
Blue Mountains Tree Frogs in amplexus.

This species is associated with flowing rocky streams in woodland and wet or dry sclerophyll forest. This species has a two part call, the first is a strong "warrrrrk" frollowed by a number a shorter notes, that sound like a golf ball going in a hole. Males call from streamside vegetation and rocks in the stream from spring to summer, normally after heavy rain.

This species is often found in highland areas, especially the Blue Mountains, hence its name. The species Litoria jenolanensis is suspected to be genetically the same as this species.

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[edit] References

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