The southern leaf green tree frog (''Ranoidea nudidigitus'') is a species of tree frog native to coastal areas and the ranges of south-eastern Australia. It is distributed from just south of Sydney to eastern Victoria.

Description

''Ranoidea nudidigitus'' is a small 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 have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not closely rela ...

, up to about in length. Adults are normally green on their dorsal surfaces (although at times they can be brown), but metamorph frogs are always dull brown in colour. They are very similar to the leaf green tree frog (''Ranoidea phyllochroa''), and distribution and call are used to distinguish the two. The tympanum is indistinct (it is distinct in ''R. phyllochroa''). A black stripe on the side of the head starts at the nostril and continues down the side of the frog; it often gets larger the further down the frog it goes. A gold stripe occurs above the black one and follows it in the same direction.

Ecology and behaviour

This species has only recently been separated from the leaf green tree frog; Sydney, Australia is considered the dividing point for the two species' range. ''R. nudidigitus'' ranges to the south and ''R. phyllochroa'' to the north. Hybridisation is possible around southern Sydney, from the

Royal National Park The Royal National Park is a protected national park that is located in Sutherland Shire in the Australian state of New South Wales, just south of Sydney. The national park is about south of the Sydney central business district near the l ...

to about

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near w ...

. This area is regarded as the

hybrid zone A hybrid zone exists where the ranges of two interbreeding species or diverged intraspecific lineages meet and cross-fertilize. Hybrid zones can form ''in situ'' due to the evolution of a new lineage but generally they result from secondary cont ...

. This species is associated with streams and creeks in rainforests, as well as wet or dry sclerophyll forests. It is rarely found away from running water. Males have a call similar to that of ''R. phyllochroa'', composed of a long first note, and followed by a series of shorter notes. Males call during spring and summer from vegetation around a stream.

Key

For more information in distinguishing this species from leaf green tree frog, Pearson's green tree frog, and the mountain stream tree frog, refer to the article for leaf green tree frog#Key.

Sources

*Anstis, M. 2002. Tadpoles of South-eastern Australia. Reed New Holland: Sydney.
Frogs of Australia
frog call available here.
Frogs Australia Network
{{Taxonbar, from=Q587933 Ranoidea (genus) Amphibians of New South Wales Amphibians of Victoria (state) Amphibians described in 1962 Frogs of Australia