Jervis Bay Tree Frog

Scientific name: Litoria jervisiensis

Updated

21/04/22
Read time

2 minutes

Jervis Bay Tree Frog, Litoria jervisiensis Image: Jodi Rowley
© Jodi Rowley

Fast Facts

Classification

Genus

Litoria

Species

jervisiensis

Family

Hylidae

Order

Anura

Subclass

Lissamphibia

Kingdom

Animalia
Size Range

6 cm

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 4.5 cm in body length. It has a brown or grey back with a wide, dark brown longitudinal stripe along the middle that ends between the eyes. There is a narrower dark brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the side, and a thin white stripe from under the eye to the top of the arm. The belly is white, and the male has a yellow throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. The armpits are yellow, and the backs of the thighs are orange or red. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are fully webbed, both with large discs.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Litoria dentata, Litoria ewingii, Litoria littlejohni, and Litoria verreauxii in its distribution, but Litoria littlejohni and Litoria dentata lack a white stripe from beneath the eye to the top of the arm, while Litoria ewingii and Litoria verreauxii lack yellow in the armpits present in Litoria jervisiensis.

Distribution

Found along the east coast from Ballina in NSW south to eastern VIC.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as small clusters and attached to vegetation near the surface of the water in ponds or swamps. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 7 cm, and are gold in colour, with black stripes if in clear water. They often remain at the surface of water bodies, and take at least three months to develop into frogs, although tadpoles in colder areas may take much longer. Breeds throughout the year, but usually during autumn to spring after rain.