The chattering rock frog (''Litoria staccato'') is a species of frog that is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...
. The
species epithet Specific name may refer to:
* in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database
In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules:
* Specific name (botany)
A botanical name ...
''staccato'' and the common name refer to the sound of its call.
Description
The species is a small to medium-sized frog which grows to about 35 mm
SVL. The colouration varies between dark red, beige and slate-grey. It has a pointed snout and partly-webbed toes. Its closest relative is the
rock frog (''Litoria coplandi'') which has, however, a very different call.
Distribution and habitat
The species is restricted to the tropical north-west
Kimberley region
The Kimberley is the northernmost of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami deserts in the region of the Pilbara, an ...
of north-western
Australia. It is found in rocky creeks, along ridges and on rock platforms.
References
Litoria
Amphibians of Western Australia
Amphibians described in 2007
Frogs of Australia
{{Pelodryadinae-stub