The Blue Mountains tree frog (''Ranoidea citropa'') also called the variegated river tree frog is a species of

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 ...

in the subfamily

Pelodryadinae Pelodryadinae, also known as Australian treefrogs (although not all members are arboreal), is a subfamily of frogs found in the region of Australia and New Guinea, and have also been introduced to New Caledonia, Guam, New Zealand, and Vanuatu. ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to southeastern Australia and is found in eastern

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

and in southeastern

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 ...

. The Jenolan Caves tree frog, a population formerly separated as ''Litoria jenolanensis'', is nowadays included in this species.

Description

This is a moderate-sized frog, up to about in length. Its dorsal surface is brown with a few darker flecks. There is a dark stripe that runs from the nostril, above the tympanum, to the

groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial co ...

. There is a lighter golden stripe above and adjacent to the dark stripe. Their head, arms, legs, and the side of their body are green in colour. The amount of green on an individual frog can range from almost none at all to an all green colour morph. The green colour can occasionally be aqua-green. The armpit, thigh, groin, and inner section of the foot are bright red-orange in colour. The belly is white.

Ecology and behaviour

This species is associated with flowing rocky streams in woodland 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 leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

forest. This species has a two-part call, the first is a strong "warrrrrk" followed by several shorter notes, that sound like a golf ball going in a hole. Males call from streamside

vegetation Vegetation is an assemblage of plant species and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic charact ...

and rocks in the stream from spring to summer, normally after heavy rain. This species is often found in highland areas, especially the Blue Mountains, hence its name. The Blue Mountains Tree Frog is a host of ''

Chlamydophila pneumoniae ''Chlamydia pneumoniae'' is a species of ''Chlamydia'', an obligate intracellular bacterium that infects humans and is a major cause of pneumonia. It was known as the Taiwan acute respiratory agent (TWAR) from the names of the two original isola ...

'' and Mesocoelium. It is also preyed upon by the Australian copperhead.

As a pet

It can be kept as a petMark Davidson. 2005. Australian Reptile Keeper Publications. in Australia, in captivity with the appropriate permit.

Diet

Tree frogs generally eat a variety of insects; in captivity, they eat gut-loaded crickets, their own tadpoles, guppies, spiders, and worms.

Sources

*Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney. *Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney.
Frogs Australia Network
frog call available here.
Frogs of AustraliaDepartment of Environment, Climate Change and Water, New South Wales: Amphibian Keeper's Licence: Species Lists

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1848467 Ranoidea (genus) Frogs of Australia Amphibians of New South Wales Amphibians of Victoria (Australia) Endemic fauna of Australia Amphibians described in 1841 Taxa named by François Péron