Blue Mountains tree frog

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Blue Mountains tree frog
Blue-Mountains-Tree-Frog444.jpg

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pelodryadidae
Genus: Litoria
Species:
L. citropa
Binomial name
Litoria citropa
Duméril and Bibron, 1841
Citropa distrib.PNG
Distribution of the Blue Mountains tree frog
Synonyms[1]
  • Hyla citripoda Péron, 1807
  • Dendrohyas citropa — Tschudi, 1838
  • Hyla citropa — Tschudi, 1838; Duméril and Bibron, 1841
  • Hyla jenolanensis Copland, 1957
  • Ranoidea citropa — Duboi & Frétey, 2016
  • Litoria jenolanensis — Tyler, 1971
  • Dryopsophus citropa — Wells and Wellington, 1985
  • Dryopsophus jenolanesis — Wells and Wellington, 1985
  • Dryopsophus citropus — Duellman, Marion, and Hedges, 2016

The Blue Mountains tree frog (Litoria citropa) also called the Variegated River Tree Frog is a species of tree frog in the family Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to southeastern Australia and is found in eastern Victoria and in southeastern New South Wales. The Jenolan Caves tree frog, a population formerly separated as Litoria jenolanensis, is nowadays included in this species.[1][2]

Description[]

A green morph of Litoria citropa

This is a moderate-sized frog, up to about 60 mm (2.4 in) 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. Their head, arms, legs, and the side of their body are green in colour. The amount of green on an individual frog can range from almost none at all to an all green colour morph. 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.[3]

Ecology and behaviour[]

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" followed by several 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.

The Blue Mountains Tree Frog is a host of Chlamydophila pneumoniae and .[4] It is also preyed upon by the Australian Copperhead.[4]

As a pet[]

It can be kept as a pet[5] in Australia, in captivity with the appropriate permit.

Diet[]

Tree frogs generally eat a variety of insects; in captivity, they eat gut-loaded crickets, their own tadpoles, guppies, spiders, and worms.

Sources[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Jean-Marc Hero, Frank Lemckert, Peter Robertson (2004). "Litoria citropa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004: e.T41084A10385701. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41084A10385701.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2020). "Ranoidea citropa (Péron, 1807)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  3. ^ Australia, Atlas of Living. "Species: Litoria citropa (Blue Mountains Tree Frog)". bie.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  4. ^ a b "Blue Mountains Tree Frog Interactions". GLOBI. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  5. ^ Mark Davidson. 2005. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications. ISBN 0-9758200-0-1
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