Green-Eyed Tree Frog

Common Name:
Green-Eyed Tree Frog
Scientific Name:
Litoria genimaculata
Type:
Amphibians
Diet:
Carnivore
Group Name:
Army
Size:
2.8 inches
IUCN Red List Status:
Least concern
Current Population Trend:
Decreasing

The green-eyed tree frog has adapted its appearance to blend in with the moss-covered rain forests of Queensland, Australia.

Coloring

The frogs' coloration and markings vary with their specific habitat, but they usually have a brownish-green body with rust-colored blotches that match the lichen-covered rocks lining the creeks and streams they tend to live near.

This species gets its name not for green eyes per se, but rather for a line of brilliant green that often adorns the brow of each eye. They are also distinguishable by a row of skin flaps along their arms and legs, which resembles a serrated knife.

Size

Females, which are significantly larger than males, grow to about 2.8 inches. Males, which emit a mating call that sounds like a quiet tap-tap-tap, max out at about 1.8 inches.

Population

Green-eyed tree frogs are abundant in the rugged wet tropics of northeast Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef. Their population is healthy in the region's lower elevations, but, for unknown reasons, may have disappeared completely from the higher-altitude areas. They have suffered serious declines in the past, possibly due to a fungus or virus, but their numbers have rebounded, and they are not currently threatened or endangered.

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