Green Tree Frog

Litoria caerulea

A very large bright green tree frog with a robust broad body and short limbs. The fingers and toes have very large expanded discs on the ends and the toes are fully webbed. A pair of large partoid glands extend back from the eye on to the shoulders. Males can reach sizes of 8 cm and females over 11 cm.

Breeding

Mating takes place from November to March during the wet season. Males call from the ground when females are likely to be breeding, but call perched in trees during other times.

Call

A deep loud bark repeated frequently.

Eggs

Females lay several hundred to a few thousand eggs on the surface of static bodies of water, which then sink to the bottom in 24 hours.

Tadpoles

Tadpoles grow rapidly and achieve a maximum length of about 10 cm. The larval period lasts from 4-5 weeks.

Other Notes

Green Tree Frogs will wipe a waxy secretion over themselves to conserve moisture loss during the day. They also tuck in the limbs and lower the chin to minimise their surface area. The green tree frog is the most popular frog in the international pet trade market owing to its large size, beautiful green colouration, placid disposition and hardiness in captivity.