Green and Golden Bell Frog

Description

The Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea, is a ground-dwelling tree frog native to eastern Australia. Despite its classification and climbing abilities, they do not live in trees and spend almost all of their time close to ground level, mostly around water. Unlike most frog species they are often active during the day although they spend much time basking in the sun. They tend to be less Green and Golden Bell Frog Date Stampactive in winter whereas during the warmer months they move around in search of food and mating partners. Males reach maturity after around nine months, while for the larger females, this does not occur until they are two years old.

The Green and Golden Bell Frog is a large, stout frog with growing up to 11 cm in length. Mature males are generally smaller than mature females, and the colour on their dorsal surface differs greatly to females. Generally, females tend to have more green patches than males. During the cooler months when the frogs are inactive, colouration may darken almost to black.

Green and Golden Bell Frog miniature sheetWhen handled, this species secretes a slimy, acrid mucus which makes the frog slippery, hard to grip, and is poisonous to some other species of frogs so it is a useful defensive mechanism. Male frogs often fight if they come within 1M of each other, frequently leading to injuries. They have a strong tendency for cannibalism, eating other frogs, even of the same species. Natural predators include wading birds, tortoises, eels and predatory fish.

Their habitat is mostly coastal swamps, wetlands, marshes, dams, ditches, small rivers, woodland and forest. They are most typically found in freshwater ponds that are still, shallow, unshaded and unpolluted and tend to avoid waters that contain predatory fish.
The voracious adults have a very broad diet, including crickets, larvae, mosquito wrigglers, dragonflies, earthworms, cockroaches, flies and grasshoppers.

In Australia the Green and Golden Bell Frog has declined in population leading to their current classification as globally vulnerable. Factors thought to be responsible for this decline include habitat loss; erosion and sedimentation of soil; pollution from insecticides and fertilisers; parasites and the introduction of predatory fish. Despite the situation in Australia, the frog remains abundant in New Zealand and several other Pacific Islands including Vanuatu where it was introduced in the 19th century, probably to help control mosquitoes.