Litoria gracilenta
Description
The Graceful Treefrog (Litoria gracilenta), also known as the Dainty Treefrog, can be found along the coast from Cape York in Northern Queensland to Sydney. This 45mm frog has predominantly green skin, with lemon yellow flanks, belly, upper arms and feet and a yellow “eyebrow” that sits above and behind bright orange eyes.
Graceful Treefrogs can be found in open forests, woodlands and suburban gardens hiding in vegetation around water. During the hotter parts of the day they retreat into protected shady foliage to avoid the sun and potential predators. However, during rain or in areas of forest that are shaded and moist, these frogs can be found sitting on leaves near water hunting.
During the Spring and Summer, the males call to the females with a long drawn out “waaaaaa” that sometimes sounds like a growl. After mating, the female lays the eggs in a clump of jelly attached to vegetation. The tadpoles then hatch and take 14 weeks before they change to adult frogs.
Adaptations
- Tuck legs into sides to cover yellow markings during the day to camouflage from predators
- Sticky pads on toes help them when climbing vegetation
- They have a transparent eyelid that protects their eyes when underwater
- They have a very large vocal sac that blows up like a balloon to help males make their loud mating calls
Feeding relationships
What I eat: Living insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates (e.g. spiders).
What eats me: Frogspawn is eaten by ants, fish, small lizards and birds. Tadpoles are eaten by pond fish, birds, water spiders, and water bugs (e.g. dragonfly larvae). Adult frogs are eaten by snakes, birds (e.g. kookaburra, butcher bird, magpie), bats, goannas, rats, other frogs, cane toads, fish and domestic pets.
Interesting facts
The Cape York Graceful Treefrog (Litoria bella) was initially mistaken as the Graceful Treefrog (Litoria gracilenta). By looking at differences in its appearance, call and DNA, we now know that they are distinct species, bringing the number of known frog species in Australia to 239. The Graceful Treefrog is also the faunal emblem of Brisbane.