Green Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea)

This Green Tree Frog found a damp spot in the garden bird bath.

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.

This is the same Green Tree Frog that was in the bird bath. I relocated him to a branch of a Grevillea bush to provide a more natural setting for this photograph. Five minutes after I left him, he was back in the bird bath again !

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.

During the day, tree frogs rest with their legs close to body to minimise moisture loss. Photographed on house rainwater pipe, South Stradbroke Island.

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.

Green Tree Frog on gravel pathway in suburban backyard

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.

GREEN TREE FROG FACTS

Description
The Green Tree Frog is dark green or bright green on back and sides, the back often have white spots. The belly is white. Skin is smooth on back and granular on underside. The eye is gold colour. Has large toe pads.

Size
12cm

Habitat
Urban areas, forests and woodlands, wetlands, heath. Often found around buildings such as water tanks and outside toilets.

Food
insects and crustaceans. Can sometimes catch larger prey like a small mouse.

Breeding
Are large and laid in floating clumps that form a single layer on the surface of the water.

Range
much of Australia except Victoria and Tasmania.

distribution map showing range of Litoria caerulea in Australia

distribution map showing range of Litoria caerulea in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Notes
The scientific name caerulea means 'blue'. The first specimen that was brought to the UK around 1790 was blue, it is thought to be the preservative in the container that changes the dead frog's colour.

Classification

Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Hylidae
Genus:	Litoria
Species:	caerulea
Common Name:	Green Tree Frog

Relatives in same Genus
  Striped Burrowing Frog (L. alboguttata)
  Green and Golden Bell Frog (L. aurea)
  Mountain Stream Tree Frog (L. barringtonensis)
  Tasmanian Tree Frog (L. burrowsae)
  Red-eyed Tree Frog (L. chloris)
  Blue Mountains Tree Frog (L. citropa)
  Bleating Tree Frog (L. dentata)
  Southern Brown Tree Frog (L. ewingi)
  Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog (L. fallax)
  Freycinet's Frog (L. freycineti)
  Dainty Tree Frog (L. gracilenta)
  Giant Tree Frog (L. infrafrenata)
  Jervis Bay Tree Frog (L. jervisiensis)
  Broad-palmed Frog (L. latopalmata)
  Lesueur's Tree Frog (L. lesueuri)
  Littlejohn's Tree Frog (L. littlejohni)
  Rocket Frog (L. nasuta)
  Leaf Green Tree Frog (L. nudidigita)
  Pearson's Tree Frog (L. pearsoniana)
  Peron's Tree Frog (L. peroni)
  Green Stream Frog (L. phyllochroa)
  Growling Grass Frog (L. raniformis)
  Whirring Tree Frog (L. revelata)
  Magnificent Tree Frog (L. splendida)
  Laughing Treefrog (L. tyleri)
  Verreaux's Tree Frog (L. verreauxi)
  Stoney Creek Frog (L. wilcoxi)