White-lipped tree frog

Last updated

White-lipped tree frog
Litoria infrafrenata - Julatten.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Nyctimystes
Species:
N. infrafrenatus
Binomial name
Nyctimystes infrafrenatus
(Günther, 1867) [2] [3]
Synonyms
List
  • Hyla infrafrenataGünther, 1867
  • Calamita dolichopsisCope, 1867
  • Pelodryas dolichopsisMeyer, 1875
  • Pelodryas militariusRamsay, 1878
  • Litoria guttataMacleay, 1878
  • Hyla dolichopsisBoulenger, 1882
  • Hyla infrataeniataBoulenger, 1885
  • Hyla spengeliBoulenger, 1912
  • Hyla militariaBoulenger, 1912
  • Hyla trinilensisAhl, 1929
  • Hyla infralineataRensch, 1936
  • Hyla spengleriLoveridge, 1948
  • Litoria infrafrenataTyler, 1971
  • Sandyrana infrafrenataWells and Wellington, 1985

The white-lipped tree frog (Nyctimystes infrafrenatus) is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is the world's largest tree frog (the Cuban tree frog reaches a similar maximum size) and is found in Australia. Other common names include the New Guinea treefrog, giant tree frog, and Australian giant treefrog. [4]

Contents

Description

The white-lipped tree frog reaches 11–14 cm (4.3–5.5 in) in length. [5] Females are larger than males, and have thicker skin in correlation with the difference in body size. [6] Its dorsal surface is usually bright green, although the colour changes depending on the temperature and background, and can be brown. The ventral surface is off-white. The lower lip has a distinctive white stripe (giving this species its name), which continues to the shoulder. The white stripes on the trailing edges of the lower leg may turn pink in the breeding male. The white-lipped tree frog has large toe pads, which aid it to climb. The toes are completely webbed, and the hands are partially webbed.

Ecology and behaviour

The white-lipped tree frog is found along the coastal areas of Cape York Peninsula and the wet tropics of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. It is the most widely distributed tree frog in the New Guinea region, spanning from eastern Indonesia, through the New Guinea mainland, to the Bismarck and the Admiralty Islands in the north. It lives in rainforests, cultivated areas, and around houses in coastal areas, and is restricted to areas below 1200 m in altitude.

It has a loud, barking call, but when distressed, it makes a cat-like "mew" sound or may discharge urine. Males call during spring and summer after rain from vegetation around the breeding site, normally a still body of water.

Its diet is mainly insects and other arthropods. It can live to over 10 years in the wild.

This species of frog is known for being moved around in fruit produce from northern Australia and ending up becoming a lost frog in southern areas.

As a pet

It is kept as a pet; but in Australia, it may be kept in captivity only with an appropriate permit.

Related Research Articles

<i>Litoria</i> Genus of amphibians

Litoria is a genus of hylid tree frogs, sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs.

<i>Nyctimystes</i> Genus of amphibians

Nyctimystes is a genus of tree frogs in the subfamily Pelodryadinae of the family Hylidae. They are principally Papuan species, but also inhabit islands in the Moluccas. All species in this genus have one distinct feature that separates them from other species in the family, the lower eyelid is marked with pattern of lines, veins, or dots. This feature presumably acts as camouflage when the frogs are at rest during the day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern dwarf tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The eastern dwarf tree frog, also known as the eastern sedge-frog, is a species of tree frog. It is a small and very common frog and found on the eastern coast of Australia, from around Cairns, Queensland, to around Ulladulla, New South Wales. Individual frogs of this species are often found elsewhere, having been accidentally relocated by transported fruit boxes. Confirmed sightings of breeding pairs have confirmed their survival in Victoria's cooler climate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian green tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Australian green tree frog, also known as simply green tree frog in Australia, White's tree frog, or dumpy tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in the United States and New Zealand, though the latter is believed to have died out. It is morphologically similar to some other members of its genus, particularly the magnificent tree frog (R. splendida) and the white-lipped tree frog (R. infrafrenata).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyler's tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

Tyler's tree frog or the southern laughing tree frog is an arboreal species of tree frog. It is native to eastern Australia where it occurs from south-eastern Queensland to the southern coast of New South Wales. It is generally a coastal species and is not found inland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dainty green tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The dainty green tree frog, also known as the graceful tree frog, is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is native to eastern Queensland, and north-eastern New South Wales, Australia and ranges from northern Cape York in Queensland to Gosford in New South Wales, with a small and most likely introduced population in Hornsby Heights in Sydney. It is one of two faunal emblems of the City of Brisbane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armoured frog</span> Species of amphibian

The armoured frog, or armoured mist frog, is a species of tree frog in the torrent frog complex, a group restricted to north-eastern Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian lace-lid</span> Species of amphibian

The Australian lace-lid, also known as lace-eyed tree frog and Day's big-eyed treefrog, is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to the wet tropics of north-eastern Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern dwarf tree frog</span>

The northern dwarf tree frog is a small species of tree frog native to northern Australia, from the Kimberly region of Western Australia to Bowen, Queensland, and Aru Islands of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-thighed frog</span> Species of amphibian

The green-thighed frog is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. Members of this species are medium-sized, ground-dwelling frogs, and are found in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough frog</span> Species of amphibian

The rough frog, also known as the woodland water-holding frog, warty water-holding frog, and red-backed cyclorana, is a species of treefrog native to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common mist frog</span> Species of amphibian

The common mist frog is a species of tree frog native to north-eastern Queensland, Australia. It is a medium-sized frog and a member of the Australian torrent treefrog group. The common mist frog is found in remote, mountainous areas, and near rocky, fast-flowing rainforest streams such as those in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. They are generally sedentary frogs, and remain in the stream environments that they are born into, preferring sections of the stream with riffles, many rocks, and overhanging vegetation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterfall frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Australian waterfall frog or torrent treefrog is a species of tree frog native to Far North Queensland, Australia. The common name "waterfall frog" is indicative of its habitat of moist, rocky streams, and is often found along waterfalls within its range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green-eyed treefrog</span> Species of amphibian

The green-eyed treefrog is a species of Australasian treefrog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae that occurs in the Wet Tropics of Australia.

The Wendessi tree frog is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae.

Nyctimystes kubori is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae of the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and is widespread in the New Guinea Highlands between 141°E and 147°E and in the mountains of the Huon Peninsula. The specific name kubori refers to its type locality in the Kubor Mountains. Common name sandy big-eyed treefrog has been coined for this species.

Nyctimystes narinosus, the common big-eyed treefrog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae of the family Hylidae. It is endemic to New Guinea and occurs in the Wahgi-Sepik Dividing Range and the Schrader Mountains, on both sides of the border between Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. There is, however, some uncertainty about the western limit of this species. Despite its vernacular name, Nyctimystes narinosus is not a common species.

Nyctimystes persimilis, also known as the Milne big-eyed treefrog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae of the family Hylidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea and known from Mount Dayman and Mount Simpson in the Owen Stanley Range.

Nyctimystes purpureolatus is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to New Guinea and is known from its type locality on the Tiri River, a small tributary of the Mamberamo River in West Papua, Indonesia, and from three locations in West Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea.

Nyctimystes hunti is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to northern Papua New Guinea. Scientists have seen it only in Utai, Sanduan Province, but predict that also lives elsewhere on New Guinea.

References

  1. Iskandar, D.; Mumpuni, Hero, J.; Retallick, R.; Richards, S. (2017). "Nyctimystes infrafrenatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T41095A114114070. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T41095A114114070.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. EOL.org
  3. Barker, J., Grigg, G. C., and Tyler, M. J. (1995). A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty and Sons, New South Wales.
  4. "Nyctimystes infrafrenatus (Günther, 1867) | Amphibian Species of the World". research.amnh.org. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  5. James Cook University, Australia: Litoria infrafrenata. Retrieved 19 June 2014[ dead link ]
  6. Vanburen, Collin S.; Norman, David B.; Fröbisch, Nadia B. (2019). "Examining the relationship between sexual dimorphism in skin anatomy and body size in the white-lipped treefrog, Litoria infrafrenata (Anura: Hylidae)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 186 (2): 491–500. doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zly070 . PMC   7797633 . PMID   33551467.