Litoria rheocola

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to nearly 4.5 cm in body length. It has a grey, olive-grey or light brown back, with pale or dark brown mottling, and often a wide, longitudinal patch along the middle that starts between the eyes. The belly is white or pale pink. The pupil is horizontal and the iris is copper coloured. The male has small black nuptial spines on the thumbs that help to grip the female during mating. Fingers are one-third webbed and toes are nearly fully webbed, both with large discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as a cluster attached under rocks in streams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5 cm, and are brown and gold, or black in colour, with gold or silver mottling. They use their very large mouth-parts to stick to rocks in order to avoid being swept away by flowing water. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies and it is unknown how long they take to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to summer.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Litoria lorica, Litoria nannotis and Litoria nyakalensis in its distribution, but Litoria nyakalensis has larger black nuptial spines and a different call, while Litoria lorica and Litoria nannotis are more mottled and lack a wide, longitudinal patch in the middle of the back as present in Litoria rheocola.