Litoria ewingii

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 4.5 cm in body length. It has a cream-coloured, brown or yellow-brown back, with a wide, darker brown longitudinal stripe along the middle that starts between the eyes. There is a black or dark brown stripe from the tip of the snout to past the arm. There is often a white stripe from below the eye to the end of the upper lip. The belly is white, and the male has a darker throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. The backs of the thighs are reddish-orange. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are half webbed, both with small discs. Individuals sometimes have a green back in the far western part of the species' distribution.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid in clusters that stick to vegetation under the surface of the water in temporary or permanent ponds, dams, and stream pools. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5.5 cm, and are black, brown, or gold in colour. They often remain at the surface of water bodies. They take six to seven months to develop into frogs, although tadpoles in warmer areas may grow faster. Breeds during any time of the year.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Litoria dentata, Litoria paraewingi, Litoria jervisiensis, and Litoria verreauxii in its distribution, but has a different call to Litoria paraewingi and lacks yellow in the armpits present in Litoria jervisiensis, while Litoria dentata lacks reddish-orange on the backs of the thighs. Litoria verreauxii has black spots in the groin that are not present in Litoria ewingii.