White's Tree Frog
Litoria caerulea
Beastly Facts · Updated
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Overview
White's tree frog - also called the dumpy tree frog or Australian green tree frog - is a large, robust arboreal frog native to Australia and southern New Guinea. They are one of the most docile frog species, remarkably tolerant of handling compared to most amphibians, and have become the most popular pet frog worldwide. Their characteristic "dopey" expression comes from a large, overhanging parotoid gland above the eye. Their skin secretions contain compounds with antimicrobial and antiviral properties.
Quick Facts
Native Range
Northern and eastern Australia; southern New Guinea
Natural Habitat
Forest, woodland, and near human habitation (attracted to lit areas at night)
Adult Size
3-4.5 inches (7-11 cm)
Wild Diet
Insects, moths, cockroaches, crickets, and occasionally small lizards
Wild Lifespan
Not well documented in the wild; the quoted figures are captive, an average of about 16 years with one individual recorded at 21 years in human care
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN)
History
The species was the first Australian frog to be described scientifically. John White, a surgeon and naturalist, published it in 1790 in his Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales as Rana caerulea, Latin for blue, because the preserved specimens he shipped to England had turned that color: the frog's green comes from a blue pigment under a yellow layer, and the preservative destroyed the yellow. The type specimen passed into Sir Joseph Banks's collection and was destroyed when the Hunterian Museum in London was bombed during the Second World War. The misleading name has stuck through every later change of genus.
Compare
White's Tree Frog
Human
Adult Size
3-4.5 inches (7-11 cm)
5-6 feet (150-185 cm); ~135-200 lbs
Wild Lifespan
Not well documented in the wild; the quoted figures are captive, an average of about 16 years with one individual recorded at 21 years in human care
~73 years (global average)
Wild Diet
Insects, moths, cockroaches, crickets, and occasionally small lizards
Omnivorous - eats just about anything
Native Range
Northern and eastern Australia; southern New Guinea
Global - originated in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago
Natural Habitat
Forest, woodland, and near human habitation (attracted to lit areas at night)
Everywhere from arctic tundra to tropical megacities
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN)
Least Concern (8+ billion and counting)
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Did You Know?
White's tree frogs are also called 'dumpy tree frogs' because they develop adorable fat rolls (fatty ridges above the eardrums) as adults. A modest ridge is normal in an adult, but one that sags or folds over the eardrum is the classic sign of an overfed frog.
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