Waterfall Frog
Encyclopedia
The Australian waterfall frog or torrent treefrog (Litoria nannotis) is a species of tree frog
native to Far North Queensland
, Australia
. The common name of "waterfall frog" is indicative of its habitat of moist, rocky streams, and is often found along waterfall
s within its range.
The waterfall frog is large sized, reaching 5.5 cm in length. The dorsal
surface is mottled with puck brown. The patterning on the back is similar to its habitat, allowing for effective camouflage
against granite
. The ventral surface is bright orange,green and pinkin colour, and granular. The posterior ventral surface is translucent, showing internal parts.
The toepads of L. nannotis are very large in comparison to toe width, to aid in gripping to rocks in rapids. The nuptial pad
s of breeding males are also large, covering the entire inner surface of the thumb, with spines also present on the arms and chest. The tympanum
is not visible, fingers are partially webbed and toes completely webbed.
Like the Stoney Creek Frog
(Litoria wilcoxi), and many other stream dwelling frogs, waterfall frogs lack a vocal sac
. This is thought to be because the sound of a running stream drowns out any calls, and it becomes a waste of energy. Their call is a low, growling sound.
to Cooktown
, notable in the Mt. Carbine uplands. It is found at altitudes between 180 and 3000 m (590.6 and 9,842.5 ft). It has undergone large declines in high altitude areas (likely from chytridiomycosis
), with many populations completely extinct. It is, however, stable in lowland areas.
and Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992
.
Tree frog
Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semi-aquatic.-Characteristics:...
native to Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
, 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...
. The common name of "waterfall frog" is indicative of its habitat of moist, rocky streams, and is often found along waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s within its range.
Physical description
Dorsum (biology)
In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...
surface is mottled with puck brown. The patterning on the back is similar to its habitat, allowing for effective camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
against granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The ventral surface is bright orange,green and pinkin colour, and granular. The posterior ventral surface is translucent, showing internal parts.
The toepads of L. nannotis are very large in comparison to toe width, to aid in gripping to rocks in rapids. The nuptial pad
Nuptial pad
A nuptial pad is a secondary sex characteristic present on some mature male frogs and salamanders. Triggered by androgen hormones, this breeding gland appears as a spiked epithelial swelling on the forearm and prepollex that aids with grip, used primarily by males to grasp females during amplexus...
s of breeding males are also large, covering the entire inner surface of the thumb, with spines also present on the arms and chest. The tympanum
Tympanum (zoology)
The tympanum is an external hearing structure in animals such as frogs, toads, insects, and mammals, to name a few.-Anurans:In frogs and toads, it is located just behind the eye. It does not actually process sound waves; it simply transmits them to the amphibian's inner ear, which is protected...
is not visible, fingers are partially webbed and toes completely webbed.
Like the Stoney Creek Frog
Stoney Creek Frog
The Stoney Creek Frog, is a ground dwelling tree frog , found in Eastern Australia.-Physical description:...
(Litoria wilcoxi), and many other stream dwelling frogs, waterfall frogs lack a vocal sac
Vocal sac
The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call...
. This is thought to be because the sound of a running stream drowns out any calls, and it becomes a waste of energy. Their call is a low, growling sound.
Ecology and behaviour
The waterfall frog is a stream-dwelling frog native to tropical north Queensland, from PalumaPaluma, Queensland
Paluma is a township of around 25 permanent residents in the Mount Spec ranges of Townsville's heritage-listed Wet Tropics. Paluma developed from a mining and forestry background. The first people to arrive here were tin prospectors in the 1870s after an abundance of tin in the mountains. The area...
to Cooktown
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
, notable in the Mt. Carbine uplands. It is found at altitudes between 180 and 3000 m (590.6 and 9,842.5 ft). It has undergone large declines in high altitude areas (likely from chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease of amphibians, caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South...
), with many populations completely extinct. It is, however, stable in lowland areas.
Conservation status
It is listed as Endangered under both the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
and Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992
Nature Conservation Act 1992
The Nature Conservation Act 1992 is an act of the Parliament of Queensland that provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it provided for biota to be declared presumed extinct, endangered, vulnerable, rare or common...
.
Further reading
- Hodgkison, Simon, Hero, Jean-Marc. 2001. Daily Behavior and Microhabitat Use of the Waterfall Frog, Litoria nannotis in Tully Gorge, Eastern Australia. Journal of Herpetology. 35(1):116-120.
External links
- Litoria nannotis at CalPhotos