The spotted-thighed tree frog (''Ranoidea cyclorhynchus'') is a species of

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia suborder have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not clos ...

in the subfamily

Pelodryadinae Pelodryadinae, also known as Australian treefrogs (although not all members are arboreal), is a subfamily of frogs found in the region of Australia and New Guinea, and have also been introduced to New Caledonia New Caledonia ( ; ) is a g ...

, found in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

Description

The frog is similar in appearance to its cogener, ''

Ranoidea moorei The motorbike frog (''Ranoidea moorei'') is a ground-dwelling tree frog of the subfamily Pelodryadinae found in Southwest Australia. Its common name is derived from the male frog's mating call, which sounds similar to a motorbike changing up ...

'', bearing dark green or brownish patches with bronze or gold highlights on its back; this species can be differentiated by the numerous yellowish spots on the underside of the rear legs. Males may be up to 65 mm, females to 85 mm. The name Copland's rock frog is sometimes mistakenly applied to this species (it is actually '' Litoria coplandi''). The feet are unwebbed and have a prominent disc at the toes.

Distribution and habitat

It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Southwest Australia Southwest Australia is a biogeographic region in Western Australia. It includes the Mediterranean-climate area of southwestern Australia, which is home to a diverse and distinctive flora and fauna. The region is also known as the Southwest Au ...

, as one of only four in that diverse genus to be found in the region. It occurs on the southern coastal areas, favouring permanent water and granite outcrops, but can be found at its northernmost extent in agricultural dams. Recorded sightings are also at Middle Island in the

Archipelago of the Recherche The Archipelago of the Recherche, known locally as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch from east to west and to off-shore encomp ...

, and Coragina Rock. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are rivers, swamps, freshwater lakes, and freshwater marshes. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

, although it is considered to be of

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

with regard to extinction. There are concerns that the spotted-thighed tree frog has recently become established on the

Eyre Peninsula The Eyre Peninsula is a triangular peninsula in South Australia. It is bounded by the Spencer Gulf on the east, the Great Australian Bight on the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north. Earlier called Eyre's Peninsula, it was named after e ...

of South Australia, and that it might spread further eastward into the Murray-Darling Basin and interbreed with or displace threatened species there.ABC NEWS > Unwanted visitor from west hops into South Australia
20 June 2013. Accessed 20 June 2013.

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2469952 Ranoidea (genus) Amphibians of Western Australia Amphibians described in 1882 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Frogs of Australia