Litoria infrafrenata
White-lipped Tree Frog
Distribution
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Conservation Status
What does it mean?
Federal Conservation Status (EPBC Act)
IUCN Red List
Least Concern
Frog Calls
Call recorded by Jessica Herring
Call recorded by Peter Stein
Call recorded by Kim Bels
Calling Period
- Jan
- peak
- Feb
- yes
- Mar
- yes
- Apr
- possible
- May
- possible
- Jun
- possible
- Jul
- No calling
- Aug
- possible
- Sep
- possible
- Oct
- possible
- Nov
- yes
- Dec
- yes
Species Information
Description
Australia's largest species of frog, reaching up to 13.5 cm in body length. The back is bright green, bronze, or in rare cases yellow, and becomes dark when the frog is cold or inactive. There is a distinct white stripe along the lower lip that extends to the shoulder. The belly is white, and the male has a green throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. There is a white stripe on the lower leg, which becomes pink in males during the breeding season, as do the hands, feet, and sides. Fingers are half-webbed and toes are fully webbed, both with large discs. A taxonomic revision of the Australian treefrogs published in June 2025 has suggested that this species be placed in the genus Sandyrana, resulting in the proposed species name of Sandyrana infrafrenata.
Habitats
Occurs in rainforest, Melaleuca swamps, farmland, and even in suburban areas.
Breeding Biology
Eggs are laid as a large cluster on the surface of the water in forest pools, swamps, and even garden ponds. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 6cm, and are dark brown in colour with two distinct light brown stripes from the tip of the snout to the tail. They often swim at the surface of water bodies, and take one to two and a half months to develop into frogs. Breeds during late spring to summer in the wet season.
Similar Species
Looks similar to Litoria caerulea in its distribution, but has a distinct white stripe along the lower lip.