White-footed Trilling Frog

Neobatrachus albipes Roberts, Mahony, Kendrick & Majors 1991

Species Info Card | Updated 1 decade ago

A medium-sized Neobatrachus with short limbs. Toes with moderately extensive webbing. Inner metatarsal tubercle pale brown or white; no outer metatarsal tubercle. Back brown with poorly-defined darker markings sometimes including an incomplete vertebral stripe. There is a broad pale ‘V’, sometimes reduced to a spot, between the eyes. Ventral surface of body, legs and upper arms creamy-white. Skin of upper surface of foot is white. Males 33–46 mm; females 35–43 mm S-V.

Breeding Biology

Most activity has been recorded after autumn rains but males have also been heard after rain in October, March and January. Males call from covered sites and deep water (30–50 cm deep or more).

Habitat

Temporary water bodies in agricultural regions.

Etymology

albipes means ‘white-footed’.

General

This species is most likely to be confused with the Humming Frog (N. pelobatoides) which also has reduced pigment on the inner metatarsal tubercle and a tendency to have a vertebral stripe (more prominent and consistent in N. pelobatoides).

South-western Australia. Eastern south-west region and the south-west arid zone. Eastern wheatbelt and adjacent goldfields from Wyalkatchem, Bruce Rock, Narembeen, Quairading, Dongalocking and the Stirling Ranges in the west, east to Coolgardie and Cape Arid and south of the Great Eastern Highway. Also at Junanan Rock.

A trill of 36–40, short, rapidly repeated pulses.