Adults. Males to 28 mm, females to 36 mm. Back is beige to reddish-brown, though males may be bright yellow-brown when calling or mating. A wide brown stripe starts between the eyes and runs down the middle of the back. A brown stripe runs from the nostril, past the eye, where it broadens over the obvious tympanum (eardrum), then narrows beyond the arm. Back is mostly smooth, except for a row of a few low, round bumps between the eyes. Upper lip may be white in some, but is not obvious or absent in yellow-brown males. Belly is granular (grainy) and cream in colour, flecked with brown. Head is broad with a short, rounded snout. Pupil is horizontal and top half of iris is light-gold, bottom half is darker-gold. Groin is yellow or orange and backs of thighs are orange with black spots or blotches. Fingers are slightly webbed, toes are three-quarters webbed, both with pads wider than the digit.

Larvae. Tadpoles can reach 60 mm in length. Body is cylindrical and dark brown in colour. Belly is dull grey. Snout is slightly angular to almost square. Iris is gold. Tail is taller than the body, arching in the middle, then tapering to a long, fine tip. Fins are grey with darker veins and muscle is silver, with darker patches in later stages. Tadpoles metamorphose in autumn and spring, around three months after hatching.¹

Eggs. 150-800 eggs are laid singly or in small rows of 2-5 attached to vegetation near the surface of the water in ponds, swamps, dams, and creek pools. Hatching occurs three to four days after eggs are laid.¹

Habitat. Inhabits permanent to semi-permanent water in coastal swamps and montane forests.

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, possibly fish and larger invertebrates like spiders and crayfish.

Call is a series of high-pitched, repeated whirring notes ‘reet-reet-reet-reet…’ with an insect-like quality. Males call while perched on branches or leaves of trees, shrubs, or sedges beside flooded ditches, permanent ponds, swamps, or dams. Breeding season is September-February, but may call earlier or later in warm weather.

Click here to jump to WHISTLING TREE FROG (Litoria verreauxii)

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., Meyer, E. & Clarke, J. (2004). Litoria revelata. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004: e.T41108A10399732. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41108A10399732.en. Downloaded on 25 April 2020.
4. Atlas of Living Australia occurrence download at https://doi.org/10.26197/5e9a2fc401f43 accessed on Sat Apr 18 08:37:47 AEST 2020.