Southern brown tree frog

Southern brown tree frog

Brown tree frog, Whistling tree frog, Ewing's tree frog

Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
SPECIES
Litoria ewingii

The southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii ), also known as the brown tree frog, whistling tree frog, or Ewing's tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia: most of southern Victoria, eastern South Australia, southern New South Wales from about Ulladulla—although this species is reported to occur further north—and throughout Tasmania including the Bass Strait Islands, in which state it is the most frequently encountered frog. It has been introduced to New Zealand, where it can be locally abundant.

Appearance

This species reaches 45 millimetres (1.8 in) in length. It is pale to dark brown on the dorsal surface, with a broad darker patch starting at the eyes and covering the majority of the back, although pure green and green striped colour morphs are also common. A dark band starting at the nostril runs across the eye and tympanum to the shoulder, and a pale white stripe below this runs from the mouth to the arm. The backs of the thighs are orange, and no black marbling is present (except specimens from the Adelaide region), distinguishing this species from the similar whistling tree frog, (Litoria verreauxii ). Some specimens from western Victoria and south eastern South Australia can be partially or entirely green. The belly is cream.

Distribution

Geography

Countries
Introduced Countries
Biogeographical realms
Southern brown tree frog habitat map
Southern brown tree frog habitat map
Southern brown tree frog

Habits and Lifestyle

This species is found in a wide range of habitats, including forests, farmland, heathland, semiarid areas, alpine regions, and suburban areas. They are particularly common in parts of suburban Adelaide, Melbourne, and Hobart, where they are often observed upon window panes at night, attracted by flying insects. Males make a whistling weep-weep-weep call from beside or floating in the water of, dam impoundments, ditches, ponds, and stream-side pools. Males call all year round, particularly after rain. Eggs are easily identifiable, being wound around submerged grass stems, aquatic vegetation, and sticks.These frogs can freeze and survive.

Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

Population

Domestication

In Australia, this animal may be kept without any wildlife license when purchased from a breeder. Litoria ewingi does not require any UV supplementation, it simply requires a light cycle and a small water source as it is an arboreal species.

References

1. Southern brown tree frog Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_brown_tree_frog
2. Southern brown tree frog on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41090/10387445

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