Litoria caerulea (White, 1790) - Green, White's, or Dumpy Treefrog

(Photo: John P. Clare - http://www.frogforum.net)		Family	Hylidae (Treefrogs)
		Subfamily	Pelodryadinae (Australasian Treefrogs)
		Origin	Northeastern and eastern Australia and the island of New Guinea. Introduced to Florida, USA, and New Zealand
		Adult Snout-to-Vent Length	Male: 76 mm (3 inches); Female: 102 mm (4 inches)
		Life span	Up to 21 years (maybe more), 16 being average
		Captive Difficulty	Beginner
		Breeding Difficulty	Intermediate
		Activity	Nocturnal, but can be active during the day, especially at feeding time
		Temperature	Day: 29 °C (85 °F); Night: 20 - 24 °C (68 - 75 °F)
		Food	Crickets, roaches, mealworms, waxworms, hornworms, superworms, pinkie mice, and so on.

Description & Natural History

Litoria caerulea, White's Treefrog. This species can vary quite greatly in colour. (Photo: John White)

Known as the Green Treefrog in Australia, one of its native countries, Litoria caerulea is known by a few other names elsewhere, including the Dumpy Treefrog and White's Treefrog. It was first described by English surgeon John White in 1790 (obviously not the well-known reptile and amphibian photographer whose photos feature in this article), who named it Rana caerulea, which means "blue frog". The specimen he described had been put in a preservative that had destroyed the frog's skin's layer of yellow pigment, giving it a blue appearance. It is interesting to note that some individuals of this species naturally lack some of this yellow pigment, giving them a bluish appearance as well.

White's treefrogs are one of the larger Hylid species in the world, growing from 76 mm to 102 mm (3 to 4 inches), depending on the gender of the frog. Unless a frog sings, lays eggs, or grows to about 100 mm (4 inches), the genders are nearly impossible to distinguish. They are stocky in build and some well-fed specimens will develop folds of skin, giving the impression of obesity. Toe and finger pads are well developed and quite adhesive, making it difficult to put the frog back down after you have picked it up, a trait common to many treefrogs. There is some webbing between the toes and fingers, which is more extensive between the toes than the fingers. The eyes have horizontal pupils, which are typical of the genus Litoria, as they are with most Hylids.

There is a thick fold of glandular skin called the supratympanic ridge, which is positioned above the tympanum or eardrum. Sometimes it can overgrow, almost covering the eyes. The skin on the dorsum is smooth, while it is granular on the flanks and venter (belly). As the Australian common name suggests, they are green dorsally, with some specimens having a blue tint. The green coloration can be from a dull green to a vivid green, or to even an olive or brown. The shade will often depend on the background on which one finds the frog; dark background, dark colored frog, and so on. Some individuals can have white spotting or flecking on their backs or sides - the third and the last photographs in this article show variations of frogs with this trait. Ventrally they are a white to creamy color, often with a pink tint. The inside surfaces of the legs can be dark purple to reddish brown in color. Waxy skin secretions, similar to that of frogs of the genus Phyllomedusa, help to prevent dehydration. And like these frogs, L. caerulea will smear these excretions all over itself to protect its delicate skin from the elements.

Throughout its considerable range, Litoria caerulea occupies many different types of habitat. It is abundant in the wetter coastal parts of its range, but can also be found around permanent sources of water in the drier parts of Australia. It can be also found around human habitation, most likely drawn by permanent water and insect prey.

In Captivity

The reasons for the popularity of White's treefrogs include their ease of maintenance, hardiness, and their calm disposition, which makes them more tolerant to handling than most frog species. A beginner can make a few more mistakes in the husbandry of this species, more so than he or she can make with more delicate types. In this author's opinion, the fact that they are adapted to a variety of ecosystems imparts this hardiness. It's because of this that I would suggest this frog is the definitive amphibian species for beginners, with, maybe, the tiger salamander coming in second place.

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©2009 Kurt Kunze

Written by Kurt Kunze, May 2009

About the Author: Kurt Kunze is a self educated herpetologist and a member of the New England Herpetological Society based in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA. He has been a herpetologist for the past ten years or so, before that he was a professional aquarist, working with everything from guppies and goldfish to sharks and octopus. He has worked for the Museum of Science in Boston in their Live Animal Center and for the Museum of Natural History of Harvard University as a gallery guide. At the MoS, he worked with various reptiles and amphibian species, including alligators, snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs. At Harvard, he did live animal demonstrations and educated visitors in paleontology, particularly on Mesozoic reptiles. His husbandry skills were refined by working at the MoS, as well as with the late Barbara Bonner DVM at her Turtle Hospital. Kurt has also co-authored the questionnaire for Assumption College's Science Olympiad on herpetology for the past two years. Kurt makes his home in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, along with his small "zoo", which includes various scorpions, fish, salamanders, turtles, snakes, and of course, frogs. His interests center on the Hylids, Dendrobatids, Bufonids, & Microhylids. Kurt has bred the Red-Eyed Leaf Frog, Agalychnis callidryas, and has plans to breed the Red-Banded Rubber Frog, Phrynomantis bifasciatus, the False or Southern Tomato Frog, Dyscophus guineti, and the Fire-Bellied Toad, Bombina orientalis.