Striped Rocket Frog
Click to enlarge image
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Species
- nasuta
- Genus
- Litoria
- Family
- Hylidae
- Order
- Anura
- Subclass
- Lissamphibia
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- 5 cm
Description
A medium-sized species of frog reaching up to 5.5 cm in body length. It has a brown, reddish-brown or yellow-brown back, with distinct dark brown longitudinal stripes near the middle, and sometimes patches also. There is a wide, dark brown stripe from the tip of the snout to the groin. The belly is white, and the male has a yellow throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold in the upper half, and dark brown in the lower half. The backs of the thighs are yellow, with black spots or stripes. Fingers are unwebbed and toes are half-webbed, both with small discs.
Breeding Biology
Eggs are laid as clusters that float on the surface of the water in ponds, lakes, dams, and other still fresh-water bodies in flooded areas. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 6 cm and are brown or gold in colour. They often remain in shallow areas of water bodies, and take around two months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring and summer after heavy rain in the wet season.
Similar Species
Looks very similar to the many other rocket frog species in its distribution, but can be distinguished by its distinct longitudinal back stripes and long legs.
Striped Rocket Frog (Litoria nasuta), Northern Territory, Australia.
Image: Jodi Rowley© Australian Museum
Distribution
Found along the east coast from northern NSW to Cape York QLD, then west across the Top End of the NT to the Kimberley Region of WA.
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