Whistling tree frog (Litoria ewingii) eggs..Question

[Ebony]

Hi Guys.

My Whistlers have breed before and well this time its different. I woke up this morning and did my morning poo check(for the frogs that is). So I came to my Whistlers and went to take out what I thought was a poop but it was a cluster of eggs. Normally when my Frogs breed I hear allot of whistling(croaking) and then the amplexing. But this time I saw none of this and instead of the eggs being doted in clumps around the plant in the water they were laid on plant out of the water.

My question is: Is it possible that these eggs are not fertile? and why would they lay out of the water? I have read that some frogs lay out of the water, but didn't think this happened with Whistlers.

I'm hoping I didn't damage them when I thought it was poop, but Ive put them in the water. They stayed intact.

Any help on this would be great.

[John]

First, congratulations Ebony! I don't know enough about Whistling Tree Frogs to give you a definitive answer but I doubt they're infertile - this species undergoes amplexus and laying when not paired is nearly impossible. Guessing now, but they may lay out of the water if they it's very humid and/or they think there's a lot of rain coming, I would think.

[Ebony]

Hi John, Thanks for that. I'm a little bit scared to get too excited just in case it doesn't turn out. Last season the frogs were calling for at least a week before I saw amplexing, and then it was a couple of days of that before I saw eggs. So this has come as a surprise. Looking back on last seasons notes it took about 4 days before the tadpole were seen to be moving inside the egg. It took a week for them to hatch. I suppose it also depends on the weather. Thanks again John

[Ebony]

I just took some photo's. I remember last year I left half the eggs outside and brought half the eggs inside and the eggs inside hatch faster and the tadpoles were bigger. I'm thinking will bring them inside. Ive just put them in a small tank for now. OK now I'm starting to get excited.

[Kurt]

They look fertile. Some treefrogs do deposit eggs in plants over-hanging water, see the red-eye care sheet and the Meet the Frog article on the tiger-legged monkey frog for more details. Litoria ewingii, however does not do this. They lay their eggs is clumps attached to submerged vegetation, usually in still waters of ponds, lakes, streamside ponds and flooded roadside ditches. So be very excited!

[Ebony]

Thanks Kurt....now I'm very very excited.