The green and golden bell frog(litoria aurea)is an attractive large frog with a smooth, generally ‘pea-green’ coloured back, bearing gold/copper markings and a granular creamish white belly. There is considerable variation in colouration patterning on adults, with some individuals having green or the gold/copper colour covering almost the entire back (Cogger, 2000). A gold, white and black stripe extends from behind the eye, over the tympanum (membrane covering the ear) and along the sides of the body, almost to the groin. Beneath the stripe, the skin on the underside of the body is granular.
Its limbs are coloured similarly to the rest of the body, with the dorsal side being green/gold and the underside white. The inside thigh and groin area are a turquoise blue colour. Males are generally between 55 to 70 mm SVL (Snout Vent Length), while females are 70 to 85 mm SVL (van de Mortel & Goldingay, 1998; Cogger, 2000; DEC, 2005).
The green and golden bell frog is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) 1999.
The species was found at Dutson Downs in 2011 during a survey conducted by Wildlife Unlimited. We continue to run amphibian surveys annually to monitor local numbers inform our conservation efforts.
A green and golden bell frog found at Dutson Downs.
