Kimberley rockhole frog

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Kimberley rockhole frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Pelodryadidae
Genus: Litoria
Species:
L. aurifera
Binomial name
Litoria aurifera
Anstis, Tyler, Roberts, Price & Doughty, 2010[1]

The Kimberley rockhole frog (Litoria aurifera) is a small frog from northern Australia.[2][3] It lives in the Kimberley area.[4] It was first found in the Prince Regent River by two plant scientists.[2]

Adult frogs are about 22 mm long from nose to rear end. They live in rockholes and streams with rocky bottoms. They are so small and light that they can skip across the top of the water like a skipping stone.[2]

They lay 60-110 eggs at a time, in different places instead of large groups of eggs like other frogs. The tadpoles have dark black bodies and tails with bright gold spots. They eat algae and their mouths have suckers so they can hold onto rocks in fast streams. They are about 1 cm long when they become frogs.[2]

The Latin name aurifera means "carrying gold."[2]

References[change | change source]

  1. Anstis, Marion; Tyler, Michael J.; Roberts, Dale; Price, Luke C. & Doughty, Paul (2010). "A new species of Litoria (Anura: Hylidae) with a highly distinctive tadpole from the north-western Kimberley region of Western Australia" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2550: 39–57. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2550.1.3. hdl:2440/61497.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Kimberley Rockhole Frog". Western Australia Museum. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  3. "Litoria aurifera: Kimberley Rockhole Frog". Amphibiaweb. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  4. Anstis M Tyler; MJ Roberts; JD Price; LC Doughty P (2010). "A new species of Litoria (Anura: Hylidae) with a highly distinctive tadpole from the north-western Kimberley region of Western Australia (Abstract)". 2550. Zootaxa: 39–57. Retrieved June 14, 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)