The Littlejohn's Tree Frog (Litoria littlejohni), also called a heath frog or Orange-bellied Tree Frog, is a species of tree frog native to eastern Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 from Wyong, New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 to Buchan

Buchan, Victoria

Buchan is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Buchan Road, in the Shire of East Gippsland near the Snowy River. At the 2006 census, Buchan and the surrounding area had a population of 326....

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

.

Physical description

This is a medium sized frog reaching 60mm in length. It is normally brown or grey-brown on the dorsal surface with many scattered darker flecks and spots. The is often a faint darker patch running down the back. A dark line runs from behind the nostril down to the shoulder. The belly is cream. The iris is golden-yellow and it has large toe discs. The armpit and thighs are orange, this helps distinguish it from the similar Jervis Bay Tree Frog

Jervis Bay Tree Frog

Litoria jervisiensis, commonly known as the Jervis Bay Tree Frog or Curry Frog in reference to the odour this frog produces, is a species of Australian frog associated with Wallum swampland along the east coast of New South Wales; ranging from the Queensland border to eastern Victoria.-Physical...

 (Litoria jervisiensis).

Behaviour and ecology

This species is associated with swamps and dams, still creeks and pools mostly in heathland but also in forest and woodland, mostly in highland areas. Males make a trilling "weep, weep, weep, weep..." from elevated areas or while floating in water around the breeding site. Males call mostly during the cooler months (April to September), however calling has been observered in all months with a peak in February. Clusters of about 60 eggs are laid attached to submerged twigs or braches near the edge of the water body. Tadpoles are dark in colour, reaching about 65mm and take about 120 days to develop. Metamorphs resemble the adult and measure around 20mm.

This species of frog is one of the least encountered species in Australia. Despite a large distribution the number of sites where this species has been recorded is low (total 75) across New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 and Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

. At the majority of breeding sites the number of calling males is also normally low (less than 4) and has only rarely been recorded with more than 10 calling males, which is low for even rare species of frogs. This may be due to poor surveying techniques as a result of lack of data on the breeding habits and habitat preferences of this species.

This species does not appear to be under direct threat from habitat clearing and appears tolerant of disturbance. More research is requried of this species to determine why low numbers of individuals are being recorded. However, despite the low numbers, they appear stable and this species does not appear to be in serious decline.

As a pet

It is kept as a pet, in Australia this animal may be kept in captivity with the appropriate permit.