Litoria nigrofrenata
Tawny Rocket 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 Ben Revell
Call recorded by Keith McDonald
Call recorded by Keith McDonald
Call recorded by Keith McDonald
Calling Period
- Jan
- peak
- Feb
- peak
- Mar
- yes
- Apr
- yes
- May
- yes
- Jun
- No calling
- Jul
- No calling
- Aug
- No calling
- Sep
- No calling
- Oct
- yes
- Nov
- yes
- Dec
- yes
Species Information
Description
A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 4.5 cm in body length. It has a brown or reddish-brown back, which is grey during the day when the frog is inactive. The male sometimes has yellow sides. There is a black stripe from the tip of the snout to past the arm. The upper lip is white. The belly is white and the male has a grey-yellow throat. The pupil is horizontal and the iris is gold in the upper half and dark brown in the lower half. The backs of the thighs are yellow, with darker flecks. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are three-quarters webbed, both with small discs. A taxonomic revision of the Australian treefrogs published in June 2025 has suggested that this species remain in the genus Litoria, retaining its species name of Litoria nigrofrenata.
Habitats
Occurs in open grassy woodland.
Breeding Biology
Eggs are laid as clusters that float on the surface of the water in temporary and permanent ponds and creek pools. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to nearly 5.5 cm and are brown in colour, often with two gold longitudinal stripes from the nostrils to each eye, and sometimes with bright red on the lower half of the tail. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies and take around one and a half to two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during summer after heavy rain in the wet season.
Similar Species
Looks very similar to the many other rocket frog species in its distribution, but lacks patterns or mottling as present in the other species, instead having a uniform back colour.