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Green and Golden Bell Frog
Litoria aurea
Conservation Status
Endangered species in New South Wales (Threatened Species Conservation Act). Also listed as vulnerable at a national level in the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
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What does it look like?It is a large frog ranging in size from approximately 45mm to 100mm snout to vent length. It has a gold or creamish white stripe running along the side with a narow dark brown stripe beneath it from nostril to eye. It also has blue or bluish-green colour on the inside of the thighs. The colour of the body varies, it is a vivid pea-green, splotched with an almost metallic brassy brown or gold. |
Where does it live?
The Green and Golden Bell Frog inhabits marshes, dams and streams, with a preference for bullrushes or spikerushes. Still and relatively unshaded water bodies with a low salinity are required for it to breed. All currently known breeding sites are highly disturbed by human activity or natural processes such as flooding. Although they use to be spread along the east coast from Brunswick Heads area, south to Victoria, this distribution has now decreased by 80% with patchy, isolated populations remaining. There is only one old record for Pittwater at West Head in 1955.
What does it eat and what is its life cycle?
The tadpoles forage on algae and other plant material and the adults are predominantly insectivorous, but will also take other frogs. They have a high fecundity and dispersal ability, as well as being long-lived, which should enable the species to cope with poor seasons and migration to new areas. The dramatic decline for this species is believed to be a combination of habitat loss, predation on eggs and tadpoles by Gambusia holbrooki, an introduced fish and perhaps disease.
Updated: 21 Jun 2011
Related Links
- DEC - NSW Threatened Species Profile - Green and Golden Bell Frog