Northern Laughing Tree Frog

Litoria rothii (De Vis 1884)

Species Info Card | Updated 1 decade ago

A medium-sized tree frog with a flattened appearance. The fingers have widely expanded discs with lateral fringes and webbing, and the toes are fully webbed. The colour ranges from quite pale to dark mottled brown. A distinctive characteristic is the contrasting black and yellow markings on the thighs and groin. Up to 5 cm.

Breeding Biology

A wet season breeder that begins with the first major rains. Males call from high (up to 2 m) perches on trees near water, and may call from the edge of the water as well. Spawn is deposited in small clumps in temporarily flooded areas.

Tadpoles are pale yellow above early in development, becoming mottled brown as they increase in size. They obtain relatively large sizes(up to 6 cm) with the larval period extending several months.

Habitat

Found perched in trees and bushes near water (e.g. Melaleuca swamps). Also common around human-made structures such as water tanks, shower blocks and dunnies.

Etymology

Named after H.L. Roth, an ethnologist who first collected this species in northern Queensland.

General

Individuals can change from a quite light shade while basking in trees during the day, to a very dark shade at night. Basking individuals can reach quite high body temperatures (> 40C).

Kimberley region in northern Western Australia. Also extends to northern NT and Queensland and also occurs in southern New Guinea.

Resembles a staccato burst or loud trill of laughter that fades away.