Striped Rocket Frog

Scientific name: Litoria nasuta

Updated

21/04/22
Read time

2 minutes

Fast Facts

Classification

Genus

Litoria

Species

nasuta

Family

Hylidae

Order

Anura

Subclass

Lissamphibia

Subphylum

Vertebrata

Phylum

Chordata

Kingdom

Animalia
Size Range

5 cm

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 5.5 cm in body length. It has a brown, reddish-brown or yellow-brown back, with distinct dark brown longitudinal stripes near the middle, and sometimes patches also. There is a wide, dark brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the groin. The belly is white, and the male has a yellow throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold in the upper half, and dark brown in the lower half. The backs of the thighs are yellow, with black spots or stripes. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are half-webbed, both with small discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as clusters that float on the surface of the water in ponds, lakes, dams, and other still fresh-water bodies in flooded areas. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 6 cm and are brown or gold in colour. They often remain in shallow areas of water bodies, and take around two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring and summer after heavy rain in the wet season.

Similar Species

Looks very similar to the many other rocket frog species in its distribution, but can be distinguished by its distinct longitudinal back stripes and long legs.