Litoria aurea
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Litoria aurea tadpole
Copyright © Marion Anstis
Distribution map
Distribution Map of Litoria aurea
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Status
IUCN Classification:
Vulnerable
(International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Bioregion occurrence:
(this is not a distribution map)
State occurrence:
Links
- Green and Golden Bell Frog
Wildlife of Sydney Fact File on Litoria aurea
Search on this family or genus
Litoria aurea
Family: Hylidae
Common name: Green and Golden Bell Frog
Description: This frog ranges from brown, dull olive to bright emerald green on its back with large brown or golden blotches. A pale stripe runs down the spine. A dark streak runs from the snout, over the eye and tympanum (tight membrane covering the entrance to the ear). Above this streak a cream skin fold runs down to the groin. Another pale stripe runs from below the eye to the base of the arm. The groin and the backs of the thighs are bright blue or blue-green. The belly is coarsely granular and white. The skin on the back is smooth or finely granular. The toes are nearly fully webbed.
Size: 85 mm
Habitat: This frog lives in permanent water bodies that have lots of vegetation such as ponds, swamps and dams.
Call: Has four parts starting with a slow "craw-craw-crawk" followed by some short grunts, "crok-crok". Sounds like a motorbike changing gears. Call available in 
Windows Media or 
Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © David Stewart.
Breeding: Males call after rain in spring, summer and autumn - whilst afloat amongst vegetation.
Eggs: Are laid in large floating or sunken clusters, which often are attached to vegetation at the edge of the water.
Tadpoles: Are large and translucent yellow with darker areas. As these tadpoles develop they become darker in colour. They are often seen basking in shallow water near the edges of water bodies.
Similar species: This frog can be distinguished from all others by its colouration and call.
Other characteristics: This frog became famous when building began on the Sydney 2000 Olympics site - a campaign was launched to save the local population.
Conservation Information
Suspected threatening processes
- Direct human impact/urbanisation/tourism
- Inappropriate catchment management, including degraded water quality
- Exotic predators (e.g. trout, Gambusia)
- Herbicides, insecticides, eutrophication due to excessive nutrients
- UV-B
- Disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses)
- Habitat modification (e.g. vegetation clearing, invasive weeds)
Population size: An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is 10001-50000 individuals, or size is unknown but suspected to be large. All major factors affecting population size and distribution are known.
Population trend in Australia over the past 50 years: Population size known to be decreasing.
Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Nation-wide monitoring, but not with statistical sensitivity.
Population concentration: Not known to concentrate or exist in discrete locations. (e.g. the number of sites in which individuals group together either seasonally, such as breeding sites, or they may occupy discrete habitat patches within the broader landscape, such as discrete water bodies or drainage units.)
Ongoing management activities in Australia: Some direct management/interventionist (i.e. manipulation of natural populations) activities in addition to enforcement of conservation law.
Reproductive potential for recovery: The average number of eggs deposited per adult female per year is >1000 eggs/female/year. Minimum age at which females are known or suspected to first reproduce is 2-3 years.
Range size in Australia: The size of the geographic area over which the taxon is distributed: 80,001-1,000,000 km² (up to 12% area of Australia or about the area of South Australia).
Distribution trend: Area occupied has declined by 75-100%. (This is an estimate of change in the portion of the total range that is occupied or utilised; it may not equal the change in total range.)
Knowledge of distribution in Australia: Broad range limits or habitat associations are known, but local occurrence cannot be predicted accurately.
References
Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney.
Barker, J., G.C. Grigg and M.J. Tyler. 1995. A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.
Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Reed Books: Sydney.
Robinson, M. 2002. A Field Guide to Frogs of Australia. Australian Museum/Reed New Holland: Sydney.
Swan, G. 2001. Green Guide to Frogs of Australia. New Holland: Sydney.