''Litoria'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
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 relat ...
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 capita ...
,
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
, 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 t ...
, and the
Moluccan Islands
The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...
. 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 Lo ...
. 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 appropriate s ...
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, Foja Mountains of Papua (province), Papua Province in Indonesia by Conservatio ...
discovered in 2008 and described in 2019.
[Newscientist.com](_blank)
/ref>
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
Vent or vents may refer to:
Science and technology Biology
*Vent, the cloaca region of an animal
*Vent DNA polymerase, a thermostable DNA polymerase
Geology
*Hydrothermal vent, a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water ...
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 nam ...
(''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 them ...
'' 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 ha ...
'', the following species are recognised within the genus ''Litoria'':
* ''L. adelaidensis'' – slender tree frog
The slender tree frog (''Litoria adelaidensis'') is a 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 Neobatrachi ...
* ''L. albolabris'' – Wandolleck's white-lipped tree frog
* ''L. amboinensis'' – Horst's tree frog
* '' L .amnicola'' – Raja Ampat torrent tree frog
* ''L. angiana'' – Angiana tree frog
* '' L. aplini''
* ''L. arfakiana'' – Arfakiana tree frog
* ''L. aurifera'' – Kimberley rockhole frog
The Kimberley rockhole frog (''Litoria aurifera'') is a species of small treefrog that is endemic to Western Australia. The species epithet ''aurifera'' (‘gold-bearing’) refers to the colouring of the tadpoles.
History
The species was de ...
* ''L. axillaris'' – Kimberley rocket frog
* '' L. balatus''
* ''L. becki'' – Beck's tree frog
* '' L. biakensis''
* '' L. bibonius''
* ''L. bicolor'' – northern dwarf tree frog
The northern dwarf tree frog (''Litoria bicolor'') is a small species of tree frog native to northern Australia, from the Kimberly region of Western Australia to Bowen, Queensland, and Aru Islands of Indonesia.
These small frogs are also commo ...
* ''L. bulmeri'' – Bulmer's tree frog
* ''L. burrowsi'' – Tasmanian tree frog
* ''L. capitula'' – Samlakki tree frog
The Samlakki tree frog (''Litoria capitula'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Tanimbar, Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by ...
* '' L. chloristona''
* ''L. chloronota'' – Arfak Mountain tree frog
The Arfak Mountain tree frog (''Litoria chloronota'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to West Papua, Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, river
A river is ...
* '' L. chrisdahli''
* '' L. christianbergmanni''
* ''L. congenita'' – Yule Island tree frog
* ''L. contrastens'' – Barabuna tree frog
* ''L. cooloolensis'' – Cooloola sedge frog
The Cooloola sedge frog or Cooloola tree frog (''Litoria cooloolensis'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae.
It is endemic to Australia and only known from Fraser and North Stradbroke Islands, off south-eastern Queensland.
Ha ...
, Cooloola tree frog
* ''L. coplandi'' – Copland's rock frog
* ''L. darlingtoni'' – Darlington's Madang tree frog
Darlington's Madang tree frog (''Litoria darlingtoni'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland, intermittent freshwater mars ...
* ''L. dentata'' – bleating tree frog
The bleating tree frog (''Litoria dentata''), also known as Keferstein's tree frog, is a species of tree frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. This frog is native to coastal eastern Australia, from south-eastern Queensland, to around Eden, New So ...
, Keferstein's tree frog
* ''L. dorsalis'' – dwarf rocket frog
The dwarf rocket frog (''Litoria dorsalis'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae.
It is found in New Guinea and its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist sav ...
* ''L. dorsivena'' – eastern mountains tree frog
* ''L. electrica'' – buzzing tree frog
* '' L. eurynastes''
* ''L. everetti'' – Everett's tree frog
* ''L. ewingii'' – brown tree frog
The southern brown tree frog (''Litoria ewingii''), also known as the brown tree frog, whistling tree frog, or Ewing's tree frog, is a species of tree frog native to Australia: most of southern Victoria, eastern South Australia, southern New S ...
* ''L. fallax'' – eastern dwarf tree frog
The eastern dwarf tree frog (''Litoria fallax''), also known as the eastern sedge-frog, is a species of tree frog. It is a small and very common frog and found on the eastern coast of Australia, from around Cairns, Queensland, to around Ulladull ...
* '' 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 variable ...
* '' L. gasconi''
* '' L. havina''
* '' L. hilli''
* '' L. humboldtorum''
* ''L. inermis'' – bumpy rocket frog
* ''L. iris'' – Western Highland tree frog
The Western Highland treefrog (''Litoria iris'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is found in New Guinea. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest ...
* ''L. jervisiensis'' – Jervis Bay tree frog
The Jervis Bay tree frog (''Litoria jervisiensis''), also known as the curry frog in reference to its odour, is a species of Australian frog associated with wallum swampland along the east coast of New South Wales; ranging from the Queensland bor ...
* ''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
The West Sepik tree frog (''Litoria leucova'') 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 bioti ...
* ''L. littlejohni'' – Littlejohn's tree frog
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 from Wyong, New South Wales, to Buchan, Victoria.
Taxonomy
In 2020, following a taxonom ...
* '' 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
The rockhole frog (''Litoria meiriana'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae that is endemic to Australia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, rivers, freshwater marshes, rocky areas, and caves. They a ...
* ''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
The Nodugl tree frog (''Litoria micromembrana'') is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae.
It is found in New Guinea.
Habitat
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, and heavily degraded former ...
* ''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, Foja Mountains of Papua (province), Papua Province in Indonesia by Conservatio ...
* ''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