The Blue Mountains tree frog (Litoria citropa ) also called the Variegated River Tree Frog is a species of tree frog in the family Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to southeastern Australia and is found in eastern Victoria and in southeastern New South Wales. The Jenolan Caves tree frog, a population formerly separated as Litoria jenolanensis, is nowadays included in this species.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Jumping (saltation) can be distinguished from running, galloping, and other gaits where the entire body is temporarily airborne by the relatively l...
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starts withThis is a moderate-sized frog, up to about 60 mm (2.4 in) in length. Its dorsal surface is brown with a few darker flecks. There is a dark stripe that runs from the nostril, above the tympanum, to the groin. There is a lighter golden stripe above and adjacent to the dark stripe. Their head, arms, legs, and the side of their body are green in colour. The amount of green on an individual frog can range from almost none at all to an all green colour morph. The green colour can occasionally be aqua-green. The armpit, thigh, groin, and inner section of the foot are bright red-orange in colour. The belly is white.
This species is associated with flowing rocky streams in woodland and wet or dry sclerophyll forest. This species has a two-part call, the first is a strong "warrrrrk" followed by several shorter notes, that sound like a golf ball going in a hole. Males call from streamside vegetation and rocks in the stream from spring to summer, normally after heavy rain.
This species is often found in highland areas, especially the Blue Mountains, hence its name. The species Litoria jenolanensis is suspected to be genetically the same as this species.
The Blue Mountains Tree Frog is a host of Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Mesocoelium. It is also preyed upon by the Australian Copperhead.
Tree frogs generally eat a variety of insects; in captivity, they eat gut-loaded crickets, their own tadpoles, guppies, spiders, and worms.
It can be kept as a pet in Australia, in captivity with the appropriate permit.
