Adults. Males to 62 mm, females to 68 mm. Back is bright green, but can darken to olive-green at night; occasionally with irregular yellow spots. Belly is lemon-yellow to white and granular (grainy). Tops of hands and feet are yellow. Head is broad and snout is short and rounded. Tympanum (eardrum) is clearly visible below a thin fold of skin behind the eye. Iris is golden near the horizontal pupil, fading to orange or red toward the outer edges of the eye. Legs are long and slender and backs of the thighs are dark blue or purple. Fingers are three-quarters webbed, toes are almost fully webbed, both with large pads.

Larvae. Tadpoles can reach a length of up to 50 mm. Body is oval-shaped and grey-brown or dark brown in colour with a gold sheen. Iris is copper-gold. Tail is the same height or slightly taller than body, tapering to a rounded or narrowly rounded tip. Fins are mostly clear with a few fine specks and muscle is usually pale yellow-brown. Similar in appearance to Graceful Tree Frog (Litoria gracilenta). Tadpoles metamorphose in late summer and autumn, 40-50 days after hatching.¹

Eggs. 500-1000 eggs are laid in small clusters attached to vegetation at or near the surface of temporary pools, stream pools, and semi-permanent ponds. Hatching begins about three days after eggs are laid.¹

Habitat. Inhabits coastal rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest and woodlands. Spends most of its time high in the tree canopy, descending only to breed during or after rain.

Stream

Lamington Plateau, QLD

Diet. Feeds at night on moths and other insects.

Predation & Defence. Likely predators include reptiles, birds, and mammals. Known predators are the Rough-scaled Snake (Tropidechis carinatus)⁴ and the Giant Spiny Crayfish (Euastacus spinifer), a genus, but not a species, found in Queensland.⁵

The skin glands of this species contain a variety of peptides (like small proteins) called caerins, at least four of which have antibacterial properties.⁷

Call is a long series of moaning ‘waa-aa, waa-aa’ notes, each with an upward inflection at the end, followed by a soft trill. Males call from vegetation near semi-permanent ponds, ditches, dams, and stream pools, often in a deafening chorus. Breeding season is November-February, following heavy rain.

There is evidence that, somewhat counterintuitively, female Red-eyed Tree Frogs may prefer smaller males. One study found a female’s mate choice was influenced more by chorus tenure (how many nights a male spends calling over the breeding season) than the male’s body size. One explanation is that smaller males calling at higher frequencies may expend less energy, allowing them to call for longer or more often, increasing their likelihood of mating.⁶

Least Concern (IUCN Red List 2004)

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, 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., Meyer, E. & Clarke, J. (2004). Litoria chloris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T41083A10385326. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41083A10385326.en. Downloaded on 16 April 2020.
4. Hoskin, C.J., Grigg, G.C., Stewart, D.A. & Macdonald, S.L. (2015). Litoria chloris in Frogs of Australia (1.1(4614)) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from http://www.ugmedia.com.au.
5. Madani, G. & Parkin, T. (2015). Litoria chloris (Red-eyed Tree Frog). Predation. Herpetological Review, 46(2): 234-235.
6. Morrison, C., J.-M., Hero & Smith, W.P. (2001). Mate selection in Litoria chloris and Litoria xanthomera: Females prefer smaller males. Austral Ecology 26: 223-232.
7. Steinborner, S.T., Currie, G.J., Bowie, J.H., Wallace, J.C. & Tyler, M.J. (1998). New antibiotic caerin 1 peptides from the skin secretion of the Australian tree frog Litoria chloris. Comparison of the activities of the caerin 1 peptides from the genus Litoria. Journal of Peptide Research 51: 121-126.
8. Atlas of Living Australia occurrence download at https://doi.org/10.26197/5e9a2fc401f43 accessed on Sat Apr 18 08:37:47 AEST 2020.