Adults. Males to 65 mm, females to 73 mm. Back is mostly smooth and is various shades of brown or russet with darker brown stripes running along the spine, often with a cream-coloured or reddish stripe down the middle. Sides usually with scattered dark spots. Belly is smooth and white, sometimes with a few brown flecks. Head is fairly long  and snout is narrowly rounded. A dark brown or black ‘mask’ runs from the nostril, behind the eye, through the indistinct tympanum (eardrum), down to the shoulder. A pale, raised stripe runs from under the eye to the top of the arm. Pupil is horizontal and iris is golden-brown. Fingers and toes are long and unwebbed, both without pads.

Larvae. Tadpoles can reach up to 95 mm in length. Body is pale brown in colour. Tadpoles metamorphose from December-April, but can overwinter to metamorphose in October-November, up to 12 months after hatching.¹

Eggs. 158-2037 dark brown eggs are laid in a foam nest tangled in vegetation or among rocks at the water’s edge. Hatching occurs about four days after eggs are laid.^1,6

Habitat. Inhabits many habitats including: rainforests, wet and dry forests, woodlands, shrublands, and open and disturbed areas. They also frequent swamps, flooded grassland, and suburban pools and ponds. They are secretive by day, hiding under logs, stones or leaf litter.

Artificial Pond

Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Natural Pond

Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Artificial Pond

Tamborine Mountain, QLD

Diet. Feeds on insects and other invertebrates.

Predation & Defence. Likely predators include reptiles, birds, and mammals. The Purple Rock Crab (Leptograpsus variegatus)⁴ has been observed eating adults and Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki),^5,7,8 crayfish (Cherax sp.),⁷ and Firetail Gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii)⁷ are known to eat tadpoles.

Call is a short, sharp, loud ‘Tok’ which sounds like a tennis ball being struck; often call during the day as well as at night. Breeding season is August-March, but may call year-round.

Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2004)

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.³

Not Listed nationally (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999)

Least Concern in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992)

1. Anstis, M. (2017). Tadpoles and Frogs of Australia. Second Edition. New Holland Publishers, Sydney.
2. Cogger, H.G. (2018). Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. Updated 7th Edition. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
3. Hero, J.-M., Robertson, P., Lemckert, F., Clarke, J. & Meyer, E. (2004). Limnodynastes peronii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T41163A10407686. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41163A10407686.en. Downloaded on 26 April 2020.
4. Pyke, G.H., Ahyong, S.T., Fuessel, A. & Callaghan, S. (2013). Marine crabs eating freshwater frogs: Why are observations so rare? Herpetology Notes 6: 195-199.
5. Remon, J., Bower, D.S., Gaston, T.F., Clulow, J. & Mahony, M.J. (2016). Stable isotope analyses reveal predation on amphibians by a globally invasive fish (Gambusia holbrooki). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 26(4): 724-735.
6. Schell, C.B. & Burgin, S. (2003). Swimming against the current: the Brown Striped Marsh Frog Limnodynastes peronii success story. Australian Zoologist 32(3): 401-405.
7. Simpkins, C.A. (2013). Abiotic and biotic factors influencing the assemblage of tadpoles and adult anurans in coastal wallum habitats in eastern Australia. Masters thesis, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland.
8. Webb, C. & Joss, J. (1997). Does predation by the fish Gambusia holbrooki (Atheriniformes: Poeciliidea) contribute to declining frog populations? Australian Zoologist 30(3): 316-324.
9. Atlas of Living Australia occurrence download at https://doi.org/10.26197/5e9a2fc401f43 accessed on Sat Apr 18 08:37:47 AEST 2020.