The white-lipped tree frog (''Nyctimystes infrafrenatus'') is a species of

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It is the world's largest

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 ...

(the Cuban tree frog reaches a similar maximum size) and is found in Australia. Other common names include the New Guinea treefrog, giant tree frog, and Australian giant treefrog.

Description

The white-lipped tree frog reaches in length. Females are larger than males, and have thicker skin in correlation with the difference in body size. Its

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage The fus ...

surface is usually bright green, although the colour changes depending on the temperature and background, and can be brown. The

ventral Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

surface is off-white. The lower lip has a distinctive white stripe (giving this species its name), which continues to the shoulder. The white stripes on the trailing edges of the lower leg may turn pink in the breeding male. The white-lipped tree frog has large toe pads, which aid it to climb. The toes are completely webbed, and the hands are partially webbed. White-lipped tree frog (Nyctimystes infrafrenatus) Daintree.jpg, In Daintree rainforest, Queensland Litoria infrafrenata.jpg, A brown example Green Tree Snake eating White-lipped Tree Frog.JPG, Being eaten by a green tree snake - ''

Dendrelaphis punctulatus ''Dendrelaphis punctulatus'', also known commonly as the Australian tree snake, the common tree snake, and the green tree snake, is a species of slender, large-eyed, diurnal, non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native t ...

'' near

Cooktown, Queensland Cooktown is a coastal town and suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached h ...

Ecology and behaviour

The white-lipped tree frog is found along the coastal areas of

Cape York Peninsula The Cape York Peninsula is a peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth's last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación Sierra Madre, ...

and the wet tropics of north-eastern Queensland, Australia. It is the most widely distributed tree frog in the New Guinea region, spanning from eastern Indonesia, through the New Guinea mainland, to the Bismarck and the Admiralty Islands in the north. It lives in

rainforest Rainforests are forests characterized by a closed and continuous tree Canopy (biology), canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforests can be generally classified as tropi ...

s, cultivated areas, and around houses in coastal areas, and is restricted to areas below 1200 m in altitude. It has a loud, barking call, but when distressed, it makes a cat-like "mew" sound or may discharge urine. Males call during spring and summer after rain from vegetation around the breeding site, normally a still body of water. Its diet is mainly insects and other

arthropods Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...

. It can live to over 10 years in the wild. This species of frog is known for being moved around in fruit produce from northern Australia and ending up becoming a lost frog in southern areas.

As a pet

It is kept as a pet; but in Australia, it may be kept in captivity only with an appropriate permit.

References

* * Cronin, L., (2001). ''Australian Reptiles and Amphibians'', Envirobook, * Cogger, H.G. (2000). Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Reed Books: Sydney.

External links

Queensland Department of Environment and Science: White-lipped tree frog
��Conservation status and audio of frog call
Frog Australia Network
��frog call available here.
Article Road: List of All Frog Breeds: Things You Can Do to Ensure Your Frog Has a Long, Happy and Healthy Life: White Lipped Tree FrogDepartment of Environment, Climate Change and Water, New South Wales: Amphibian Keeper's Licence: Species Lists
{{Authority control Nyctimystes Frogs of Australia Amphibians of Queensland Amphibians of Indonesia Amphibians of Papua New Guinea Amphibians of New Guinea Fauna of Timor Amphibians described in 1867 Taxa named by Albert Günther