Frogs are great to have around the garden. They eat lots of insects that could harm food crops. At our home frogs even provide relaxation and entertainment. But the most important contribution frogs make may be their role as environmental indicators. We have discovered and recorded more than 10 species of frogs just around the small four meter diameter pond in the yard beside our house. You can relax by the pond during the day and listen to just a few or sometimes only one species calling. Each day the sounds can change when one species takes a rest and another tunes in.
Frog Symphony
Recorded at night time all the sounds are frogs.
But it is the night time when all the fun happens and the calls become a symphony. This first frog recording on this page is just that, a night time blitz of hundreds of frogs calling out to their mates. All the calls are frog calls. Listening live on location is a sense surround experience. Following on we have listed with photos and audio recordings of their calls, ten of the species we have discovered here in the pond. Check them out. Click on the audio player under each image to listen to the healing sounds of frogs. Some of the recordings below might even make you laugh especially the last frog in the list which does not habitat this region but is found in Western Australia.
Tylers Tree Frog
Litoria tyleri
This would have to be the most recognizable color and skin texture for a common frog. Eggs are laid in small groups or singly, and are attached to twigs or vegetation under the surface of the water in dams, ponds, and swamps. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8 cm and are gold in colour, with three darker longitudinal stripes. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies, and take around two and a half months to develop into frogs. It breeds during spring to summer. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Tusked Frog
Adelotus brevis
The tusked frog is the only Australian species where female is smaller than male. The male grows to 5cm and has an enlarged head.
The tusked frog gets it’s name from two jutting ‘teeth’ on the lower jaw, only visible when the mouth is open. Male frogs have been observed locking jaws together in frog fights. Tusked frogs breed during spring and summer. A foamy mass of eggs is laid in shaded ponds and stream pools. Over 600 eggs can be in one nesting site and the male frogs guard their developing offspring. The tadpoles take 2 months to develop. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan.
Peron’s Tree Frog
Litoria peronii
The colour will vary in shades of grey and brown, where their lightest is almost white. It is one of the most variably coloured frogs in Australia, with the ability to change colour in less than one hour. Eggs are laid in small groups or singly, and attached to twigs or vegetation under the surface of the water. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8.5 cm and are gold in colour, with three dark longitudinal stripes. They take around three to four months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to summer after rain. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Great Barred Frog
Mixophyes fasciolatus
We are always excited when we spot one of these Great Barred Frogs. They are remarkably beautiful in real life. Eggs are kicked out of the water by the female and stick onto muddy banks and rock faces next to stream pools. The tadpoles then drop into the water after hatching. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8.5 cm, and are gold-brown or grey-brown in colour. They often remain on the bottom of water bodies and take around 12 months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to autumn after rain. Peak calling season: Jan, Feb Mar.
Dusky Toadlet
Uperoleia fusca
Eggs are laid singly on vegetation under the surface of the water in ponds, swamps, flooded grassland, and ditches. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 4 cm., and are brown in colour with gold patches and a distinct gold, longitudinal stripe from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. They often remain hidden at the shallow edges of water bodies, and take around three months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to autumn. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
Eastern Banjo Frog
Limnodynastes dumerilii
Banjo is a large species of frog reaching up to 7.5 cm in body length. It has a brown or grey-brown back, with orange or yellow mottling on the sides. There is a pale or yellow stripe from under the eye to the shoulder. Its call really does sound like a banjo string is being lightly plucked. We recorded this frog call during the daytime around 15:00 at our pond. You can also hear the Striped Marsh Frog and a bird in the background. You need to listen closely to hear the soft sound of the banjo. Eggs are laid as a foamy mass on the surface of stream pools, dams, and ponds. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 7 cm and are dark brown or golden brown in colour, with gold clusters. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog
Litoria fallax
Eggs are laid as many small clusters and attached to vegetation near the surface of the water in swamps, permanent ponds, and dams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5 cm, and are translucent gold or olive-brown in colour. If viewed from the side, the lower half of the body will be white or silver, clearly separated from the colour of the back. The tadpoles often remain near the surface water bodies, and take two and a half to four and a half months to develop into frogs. Breeds during any time of the year. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Broad-palmed Rocket
Litoria latopalmata
This is a medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 4.5 cm in body length. It has a brown or grey back, with or without darker flecks or patches. There is a dark brown or black stripe from the tip of the snout that widens along the side. Eggs are laid as small clusters that sink to the bottom of ponds and dams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5 cm and are gold in colour, sometimes with small darker patches. They often remain in warm shallow parts of water bodies, and take around two months to develop into frogs. It breeds during spring to autumn. Peak calling season: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
Striped Marsh Frog
Limnodynastes peronii
These frogs are perfect for keeping summer insects at bay as they constantly eat anything that moves and fits in their mouth including house flies, blowflies, crickets, cockroaches, mosquitoes and their larvae, slugs, snails, beetles and even other frogs. Eggs are laid as a foamy mass on the surface of most still water bodies, including fish ponds and abandoned swimming pools, often within vegetation at the edges. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 9.5 cm and are dark brown or black in colour. Breeding occurs from August to March. Males produce a ‘toc’ sound to attract females. Peak calling season: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. Jan, Feb, Mar, April.
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Litoria chloris
A large species of frog reaching up to 6.5 cm in body length. Eggs are laid as small clusters that are attached to vegetation at or near the surface of temporary pools, stream pools, and permanent ponds. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5 cm, and are grey-brown or dark brown in colour. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies, and take at least two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring and summer after heavy rain. Peak calling season: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Compare Size
These critters love to appear at our store room back deck during the season and on top of anything located on the deck creating the opportunity for a photo shoot. It is a delight to see them each year. In 2022 they were prolific. Their tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 5 cm, and are grey-brown or dark brown in colour. They often remain at the bottom of water bodies, and take at least two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring and summer after heavy rain. Peak calling season: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb.
Motorbike Frog (WA)
Litoria moorei
This creature is found only in Western Australia. But a sound similar to its call might be heard anywhere there is traffic particularly in Asia. It might make you laugh when you listen to its call. Eggs are laid as clusters that are attached to vegetation under the water in permanent swamps, ponds, and dams. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 8 cm and are gold-brown in colour. They swim at all levels of water bodies, and take four to five months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to midsummer. Peak calling season: Nov, Dec.
Save The Frogs
You can help
Frogs populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Up to 200 species have completely disappeared since 1980, and this is NOT normal: amphibians naturally go extinct at a rate of only about one species every 500 years!!!
Amphibian populations are faced with an array of environmental problems, including pollution, infectious diseases, habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, and over-harvesting for the pet and food trades.
Unless we act quickly, amphibian species will continue to disappear, resulting in irreversible consequences to the planet’s ecosystems and to humans. Frogs eat mosquitoes; provide us with medical advances; serve as food for birds, fish and monkeys; and their tadpoles filter our drinking water. Plus frogs look and sound cool, and kids love them — so there are lots of reasons to save the frogs!
Have Fun Identifying Frogs
The Australian Museum would appreciate input from anyone wishing to help record frog data in their area.
