Australian tree frog: types, maintenance, care

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:44

Currently, there are a huge number of amphibians, which are happy to have as pets. They also include tree frogs. Their huge variety allows you to choose the one that will please a particular person.

Who are tree frogs?

Frogs, or tree frogs, are called frogs that belong to the type of chordates, the class of amphibians (amphibians), the order of anurans, the family of tree frogs. The researchers who discovered these frogs initially found them very beautiful. The reason for this was the peculiar color of these amphibians. The Russian-language concept of "frog", most likely, appeared due to the loud voice of frogs, characteristic of representatives of this family only.

Due to the fact that these amphibians include a huge number of species, it is impossible to give a clear description of their appearance, since it is quite diverse.

Australian amphibians

Representatives of the tree frog family are distributed throughoutthroughout the globe. They live on every continent and on many islands. One of the subfamilies of these amphibians are Australian tree frogs. They are also called litoria.

These frogs have chosen Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, the Moluccas and Timor as their habitat. Since their distribution area is so large, they were given another name - Australasian tree frogs, although it is used much less often. The main difference between these tree frogs and others is their horizontal pupils and unpigmented eyelids.

Nearly 150 varieties of Australian tree frogs are now known, and new species are discovered each year. However, at the same time, many of them disappear or are on the verge of death.

Litorii, like other representatives of tree frogs, have binocular vision. The need to constantly climb trees, on which they spend their whole lives, caused them to develop sticky pads on the fingers of all four paws. In the same tree frogs that live on earth, this ability is weakened or completely lost.

Description

Australian tree frogs, photos of which are given in the material, are very diverse. Two nearby living species may differ not only in color, but also in size. For example, the smallest among them is the spear frog, whose size does not exceed 1.6 cm. The giant frog is considered the largest, which can grow up to 13.5 cm. Often, the size and appearance of tree frogs are closely related to their habitat. Small dark individuals are more often found onground, they climb trees very rarely. But large green litoria live all their lives on trees and descend from them only during the breeding season.

Varieties

All species of amphibians from the genus Litoria differ significantly in their physiological characteristics, behavior and habitat.

There are so many varieties of Australian tree frogs that it is sometimes difficult for researchers to find a name. Sometimes incidents turn out, for example, one of the frogs is called white, although in fact its color is far from this color. It’s just that these litoriums were first described by the English explorer and navigator John White (in English, the surname means “white”), and it was decided to name them in his honor. Only a small number of tree frogs bear the names of their discoverers as their names.

In the vast majority of cases, Australian frogs are named for some features that are immediately evident or well remembered. In addition, there are species named after their habitats - Tasmanian, New Guinean, Moluccan, Cape Melville, etc. Most of the plain, stony, cave and river frogs are named after their habitats. Among the memorable features that gave the names of the species are the following: graceful, slender, red-eyed, green-legged, diamond-eyed, spot-bellied, broad-faced, etc.

Many Australian tree frogs have become a favorite among people who are fond of exotic pets. Among them, the most popular is blue or, as it is also called, white.

White litoria

The Australian white tree frog (also called the blue or coral-toed litoria) lives in the subtropical forest belt of Australia, Indonesia, and New Guinea.

Adult females of these frogs grow up to 13 cm, while males rarely reach 7 cm. They have a short and wide head, on which large bulging eyes are located. Like all Australian tree frogs, they have horizontal pupils. The color of the litoria can be different - from any shade of green to chestnut or turquoise. Their entire body is covered with white or golden spots, and the abdomen is most often pinkish or white. On the inside, their legs may even be red-brown in color. In addition, they have sticky suction cups on their toes and small webs.

The Australian blue tree frog (or white) prefers to stay awake and look for food at night and sleep during the day. In its natural habitat, it can live up to 20 years. Like most Australian littoria, the blue frog is able to adapt to its environment by changing color. In the moment of danger or on the hunt, she is able to jump over a distance of more than one meter.

Home maintenance

It's becoming more and more fashionable these days to have some sort of exotic pet in your home. They also include tree frogs. Despite the fact that the litories are not picky, for the comfort of their living, certain conditions should be created that will repeat the natural environment as much as possible.amphibians.

The maintenance of Australian tree frogs provides for the presence of a high vertical terrarium, which will contain a large number of various plants. In addition, some snags and vertical branches will need to be placed there so that the frog can climb on them. An important condition in choosing a container is that a terrarium with a volume of 40-50 liters is needed for one litorium.

The bottom should be strewn with a hygroscopic substrate. And also in the tank there should be a drinking bowl and a spacious place for swimming. The optimal temperature at which tree frogs will live comfortably is 25 ° C, and humidity is not lower than 75-80%.

It is necessary to feed the Australian tree frog with various insects: crickets, bugs, marble cockroaches. It is imperative to keep the terrarium clean: clean up the remaining food, regularly change the water in the containers from which the frog drinks and bathes. It is very important to wipe the inside of the glass of accumulated mucus, as it can be very poisonous.

Proper maintenance of a tree frog can extend her life to 22 years. Since each tree frog has its own nuances in the content, you should carefully study them before buying a new pet.