The elusive Bleating Tree Frog

My brother Brendan found this little frog on my side deck, when removing some spare building materials. The frog was using them for cover.

Bleating Tree Frog

It was a wet morning, and so the frog was wet and it looked darker than most Frogs I had found. Certainly darker than Peron's Tree Frog.
It also as very small, but that might have just been a factor of its age and possible immaturity.

Frog size against measure of deck. (Click to enlarge)

Anyway, after posing for a few shots - on the deck, and then having been briefly captured for an underneath shot (looking for any distinctive markings it might have) I released it happily into the damp shrubbery a mere 5 metres away from where we first met it.


But what is it?

Clearly it is a Tree Frog, from the enlarged pads on the toes.

Seen through a glass in which I was holding it temporarily.

4 large toe pads on front feet

It has a red mark above the eye. But few other distinguishing features.

red markings over eyes.

Strangely, this Frog turned out to be the very first Frog I learnt about when I moved to Robertson - but only by its call. It is the Bleating Tree Frog  (Litoria dentata). I remember one of them living under a trailer, and it called incessantly. Lucy also has had them living in the gutters on her house. But I had never seen one - up close and personal.


It sounds exactly like a tiny Lamb, trapped down a hole (hence the name). If you don't "buy" that explanation, then one will think it is some form of insect. Certainly it does not sound like most "Froggie" noises.

5 toes visible on rear foot

I notice the fact that my frog has 4 toes on the front foot, and 5 on the hind foot. According to an old anatomical sketch, shown on Wikipedia, in fact a classic frog skeleton has a rudimentary toe on each front and rear foot. In other words, 5 toes on the front foot and 6 on the rear foot, but the extra toes are so small as to be barely visible in the flesh.