''Litoria'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
hylid tree frog
A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...
s, sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs, that are native to Australia, the
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km.
History
The first inhabitants o ...
, the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capit ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...
, the
Lesser Sunda Islands
The Lesser Sunda Islands or nowadays known as Nusa Tenggara Islands ( id, Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, formerly ) are an archipelago in Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up ...
, and the
Moluccan Islands. They are distinguishable from other tree frogs by the presence of horizontal irises, no pigmentation of the eyelids, and their distribution east and south from
Wallacea
Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as ...
. Over one hundred
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
are recognised and new species are still being added, such as the
Pinocchio frog
The Pinocchio frog or northern Pinocchio treefrog (''Litoria pinocchio'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It was discovered in the Foja Mountains of Papua Province in Indonesia by Conservation International and the National ...
discovered in 2008 and described in 2019.
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The species within the genus ''Litoria'' are extremely variable in appearance, behaviour, and habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
. The smallest species is the javelin frog
The javelin frog (''Litoria microbelos'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, that is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factor ...
(''L. microbelos''), reaching a maximum snout–to– vent length of , while the largest, the giant tree frog
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 n ...
(''L. infrafrenata''), reaches a size of . The appearance, behaviour, and habitat of each frog is usually linked. The small, darkly coloured frogs are generally terrestrial, and never, or infrequently, climb. The larger, green species are usually arboreal and some only venture to the ground to breed.
Species
While some former species have been moved to the genera ''Nyctimystes
''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 th ...
'' and ''Ranoidea
The Ranoidea are a superfamily of frogs in the order Anura. Members of this superfamily are characterised by having the pectoral girdle fused into a single complex unit, having no ribs, and using an axillary grip during amplexus. The larvae hav ...
'', the following species are recognised within the genus ''Litoria'':
* ''L. adelaidensis'' – slender tree frog
The slender tree frog (''Litoria adelaidensis'') is a tree frog native to south-western Australia.
Description
As suggested by its name, the slender tree frog has a very slender build. It has a thin, flat body with a flat, pointed snout. The do ...
* ''L. albolabris'' – Wandolleck's white-lipped tree frog
Wandolleck's white-lipped tree frog (''Litoria albolabris'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tr ...
* ''L. amboinensis'' – Horst's tree frog
Horst's tree frog (''Litoria amboinensis'') is a species of frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in A ...
* '' L .amnicola'' – Raja Ampat torrent tree frog
* ''L. angiana'' – Angiana tree frog
The Angiana tree frog (''Litoria angiana'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
Description
There are several di ...
* '' L. aplini''
* ''L. arfakiana'' – Arfakiana tree frog
* ''L. aurifera'' – Kimberley rockhole frog
* ''L. axillaris'' – Kimberley rocket frog
* '' L. balatus''
* ''L. becki'' – Beck's tree frog
* '' L. biakensis''
* '' L. bibonius''
* ''L. bicolor'' – northern dwarf tree frog
* ''L. bulmeri'' – Bulmer's tree frog
* ''L. burrowsi'' – Tasmanian tree frog
The Tasmanian tree frog (''Litoria burrowsi''), also known as king tree frog, is a species of tree frog that is found on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It was first found by Myrtle Burrows in 1941, at Cradle Mountain and handed over to Sco ...
* ''L. capitula'' – Samlakki tree frog
* '' L. chloristona''
* ''L. chloronota'' – Arfak Mountain tree frog
* '' L. chrisdahli''
* '' L. christianbergmanni''
* ''L. congenita'' – Yule Island tree frog
* ''L. contrastens'' – Barabuna tree frog
* ''L. cooloolensis'' – Cooloola sedge frog, Cooloola tree frog
* ''L. coplandi'' – Copland's rock frog
* ''L. darlingtoni'' – Darlington's Madang tree frog
* ''L. dentata'' – bleating tree frog, Keferstein's tree frog
* ''L. dorsalis'' – dwarf rocket frog
* ''L. dorsivena'' – eastern mountains tree frog
* ''L. electrica'' – buzzing tree frog
* '' L. eurynastes''
* ''L. everetti'' – Everett's tree frog
* ''L. ewingii'' – brown tree frog
* ''L. fallax'' – eastern dwarf tree frog
* '' L. flavescens''
* ''L. freycineti'' – Freycinet's frog
Freycinet's frog (''Litoria freycineti''), also known as the wallum rocket frog, is a species of frog. It inhabits coastal areas from Fraser Island, Queensland, south to the Jervis Bay Territory of New South Wales.
Description
This is a vari ...
* '' L. gasconi''
* '' L. havina''
* '' L. hilli''
* '' L. humboldtorum''
* ''L. inermis'' – bumpy rocket frog
* ''L. iris'' – Western Highland tree frog
* ''L. jervisiensis'' – Jervis Bay tree frog
* ''L. latopalmata'' – broad-palmed frog
The broad-palmed frog (''Litoria latopalmata'') is a species of ground-dwelling tree frog. It is native to much of eastern Australia. They can be found from mid-Queensland to south of Sydney. It is associated with the coast and inland, and is d ...
* ''L. leucova'' – West Sepik tree frog
* ''L. littlejohni'' – Littlejohn's tree frog
* '' L. lodesdema''
* ''L. longicrus'' – Wendessi tree frog
* ''L. longirostris'' – long-snouted frog, sharp-snouted frog, scrub rocket frog
* '' L. majikthise''
* '' L. mareku''
* '' L. megalops''
* ''L. meiriana'' – rockhole frog
* ''L. microbelos'' – javelin frog
The javelin frog (''Litoria microbelos'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, that is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factor ...
* ''L. micromembrana'' – Nodugl tree frog
* ''L. modica'' – Oruge tree frog
The Oruge tree frog (''Litoria modica'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests and rivers.
Names
It is known as wyt in the Kalam la ...
* '' L. mucro''
* ''L. multiplica'' – Kassam tree frog
The Kassam tree frog (''Litoria multiplica'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, Endemism, endemic to Papua New Guinea.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and heavily degraded former ...
* ''L. mystax'' – Moaif tree frog
The Moaif tree frog (''Litoria mystax'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, Endemism, endemic to West Papua (region), West Papua, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Taxonomy
''Lit ...
* ''L. nasuta'' – striped rocket frog
The striped rocket frog (''Litoria nasuta''), or in its native range known as the rocket frog, is a species of frog that occurs mostly in coastal areas from northern Western Australia to around Gosford in New South Wales at its southernmost point ...
* ''L. nigrofrenata'' – bridled frog
The bridled frog (''Litoria nigrofrenata'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is found in Australia and New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, moist savanna, intermittent rivers, swamps, in ...
* ''L. nigropunctata'' – black-dotted tree frog
The black-dotted tree frog (''Litoria nigropunctata'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is found in New Guinea (both in the Indonesian part ( West Papua) and in Papua New Guinea) and some adjacent islands, including Yapen, ...
* ''L. oenicolen'' – Trauna River tree frog
* '' L. ollauro''
* ''L. olongburensis'' – wallum sedge frog, Olongburra frog, sharp-snouted reed frog
* ''L. pallida'' – pale frog
* ''L. paraewingi'' – plains brown tree frog
The plains brown tree frog or Victorian frog (''Litoria paraewingi'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Australia. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, ph ...
(also red cryptic treefrog, Victoria frog)
* ''L. peronii'' – Peron's tree frog
Peron's tree frog (''Litoria peronii''), also known as the emerald-spotted tree frog, emerald-speckled tree frog, laughing tree frog, and maniacal cackle frog, is species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae
Pelodryadinae, also known ...
, emerald-speckled tree frog, laughing tree frog, maniacal cackle frog
* ''L. personata'' – masked frog
* ''L. pinocchio'' – Pinocchio frog
The Pinocchio frog or northern Pinocchio treefrog (''Litoria pinocchio'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It was discovered in the Foja Mountains of Papua Province in Indonesia by Conservation International and the National ...
* ''L. pratti''
* '' L. pronimia''
* ''L. prora'' – Efogi tree frog
* ''L. pygmaea'' – Geelvink pygmy tree frog
* ''L. quadrilineata'' – lined tree frog
The lined tree frog (''Litoria quadrilineata'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, endemic to West Papua, Indonesia.
Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biot ...
* ''L. quiritatus'' – screaming tree frog
* ''L. revelata'' – revealed frog, whirring tree frog
* '' L. richardsi''
* '' L. rivicola''
* ''L. rothii'' – Roth's tree frog
* ''L. rubella'' – desert tree frog
The desert tree frog (''Litoria rubella''), or little red tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia, southern New Guinea, and Timor. It is one of Australia's most widely distributed frogs, inhabiting northern Australia, including de ...
* '' L. rubrops''
* '' L. scabra''
* '' L. singadanae''
* '' L. spaldingi''
* '' L. spartacus''
* ''L. staccato'' – chattering rock frog
* ''L. timida'' – Menemsorae tree frog
The Menemsorae tree frog (''Litoria timida'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are ...
* ''L. tornieri'' – Tornier's frog
* ''L. tyleri'' – Tyler's tree frog, southern laughing tree frog
* ''L. umarensis'' – Umar tree frog
* ''L. umbonata'' – Baliem River Valley tree frog
The Baliem River Valley tree frog (''Litoria umbonata'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, endemic to West Papua, Indonesia. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical ...
* ''L. verae'' – Vera's tree frog
* ''L. verreauxii'' – whistling tree frog
The whistling tree frog (''Litoria verreauxii''), or Verreaux's tree frog, is a species of frog found in Australia. It has been divided into two subspecies, the nominate Verreaux's tree frog (''L. v. verreauxii'') and the Verreaux's alpine tr ...
, Verreaux's tree frog
* '' L. viranula''
* ''L. vivissimia – montane Pinocchio frog''
* ''L. vocivincens'' – Brown River tree frog
The Brown River tree frog (''Litoria vocivincens'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and ...
* '' L. wapogaensis''
* ''L. watjulumensis'' – Watjulum frog
* ''L. watsoni'' – Watson's tree frog
* ''L. wisselensis'' – Wissel Lakes tree frog
The Wissel Lakes tree frog (''Litoria wisselensis'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae, endemic to West Papua, Indonesia. Its natural habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and ...
* ''L. wollastoni'' – highland tree frog
References
Bibliography
*Frogs of Australia
Litoria genus
Amphibian Research Centre.
* Frogs Australia Networ
search: Litoria
*Cogger, H.G. 1979. ''Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia''. A. H. & A. W. REED PTY LTD
* Tyler, Michael J. 1992. ''Encyclopedia of Australian Animals: Frogs''. Angus & Robertson.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q148916
Amphibian genera
Taxa named by Johann Jakob von Tschudi