Desert tree frog
Litoria rubella
The Australian tree frogs are a speciose genus found in Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. They are recognisable from the horizontal line through their eyes, and unpigmented eyelids. The genus varies greatly in size, including the javelin frog (L. microbelos, <1.6 cm) and the giant tree frog (L. infrafrenata, up to 14 cm).
This species is often encountered by people in shower blocks in caravan parks in the outback and tropical regions. The species has a distinctive call, which resembles a seagull. http://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/frogwatch/frogs/little-red-tree-frog
Morphology
The desert tree frog grows up to 45 mm, is a reddish to grey brown colour, with a black stripe on either side of the head, extending behind the eye, almost to the groin.
Habitat
Terrestrial
The desert tree frog is found in a variety of habitats, across the continent, typically near water bodies. In arid zones it is restricted to ranges and larger, permanent water.
Distribution
The desert tree frog is found across most of the northern half of Australia, and in southern New Guinea.
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hylidae |
| Genus: | Litoria |
| Species: | rubella |
| Name Published Year: | 1842 |
|---|---|
| Rank: | species |
| Scientific Name Authorship: | Gray |
| Commercial Impact: | None |
| Conservation Assessment: | Least Concern |
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/litoria-rubella
Accessed 2 May 2025
Rights
We support the open release of data and information about our collections.
Text content on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Image content on this page is copyright WA Museum.