The dusky toadlet (''Uperoleia fusca'') is a species of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n ground-dwelling

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

that inhabits coastal areas from just north of

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

to mid-northern

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

Description

The dusky toadlet reaches in length. It can be dark brown or grey-brown with lighter brown variegations or uniform dark brown on the dorsal surface, which is slightly rough and warty. There is normally a pale triangle shape on the head, starting from the eyes. There is a pale yellow patch in the armpit. It has moderate-sized

parotoid gland The parotoid gland (alternatively, paratoid gland) is an external skin gland on the back, neck, and shoulder of toads and some frogs and salamanders. It can secrete a number of milky alkaloid substances (depending on the species) known collective ...

s. The ventral surface is white with a fair amount of dark blue/black speckling. There is an orange patch on the thighs. The flanks of this species are normally bluish in colour, giving it a dusky appearance. This species is very similar to the smooth toadlet, (''Uperoleia laevigata'') and differences between the two are discussed on that page.

Ecology and behaviour

This species inhabits coastal forest,

bushland In Australia, bushland is a blanket term for land which supports remnant vegetation or land which is disturbed but still retains a predominance of the original floristics and structure. Human survival in bushland has a whole mythology evolving ...

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

land, and wet or dry

sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaf, leaves, short Internode (botany), internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is paral ...

forest. Frogs call during spring and summer, normally from dams, swamps, roadside ditches, or flooded grassland areas. The call of this species is similar to other ''Uperoleia'' species, as it is an "arrk" noise. Males call from the bases of grass clumps close to the water's edge.

References

*Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney. *Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney.
Frogs Australia Network
frog call available here. {{Taxonbar, from=Q2709666 Amphibians of Queensland Amphibians of New South Wales Uperoleia Amphibians described in 1986 Frogs of Australia