Litoria nannotis
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Distribution map
Distribution Map of Litoria nannotis
Copyright © Hal Cogger
Status
IUCN Classification:
Endangered
(International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Bioregion occurrence:
(this is not a distribution map)
State occurrence:
Links
- Waterfall Frog
Queensland Environmental Protection Agency page on Litoria nannotis
Search on this family or genus
Litoria nannotis
Family: Hylidae
Common names: Waterfall Frog; Torrent Tree Frog
Description: This frog is grey to olive-green to almost black on its back with lots of darker mottling. It has a broad, rounded snout. There is a bluish metallic sheen on the sides of the body. The belly is whitish and granular. The armpits and groin are flesh coloured. The backs of the thighs are dark brown. The skin on the back is granular or has lots of small warts. The finger and toe pads are large. The fingers are slightly webbed and the toes are fully webbed. The tympanum (tight membrane covering the entrance to the ear) is not clearly visible.
Size: 65 mm
Habitat: This frog lives in rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests near waterfalls and cascades. They are commonly seen on boulders beside or behind waterfalls.
Call: A short harsh growl. Males of this species have lost their vocal sac, as a mating call is hard to hear when surrounded by fast flowing water.Call available in 
Windows Media or 
Quicktime audio. Recording Copyright © David Stewart.
Breeding: Males have small spines on their thumbs and chests so they can cling to a female and not get swept off. Gravid females and males with spines are seen all year round.
Eggs: Are large and laid under stones in streams surrounded by a jelly-like mass to hold them in place.
Tadpoles: Are found in fast flowing sections of the stream, often attached to rocks with their suctorial mouth. These tadpoles also have muscular tails that help them swim in fast flowing water. The body colour is grey or olive-green.
Similar species: This frog is distinguished from other species of Litoria by its habitat preference, size and male spines.
Conservation Information
Suspected threatening processes
- Disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses)
Population size: An estimate of the total number of adults present in the species entire range is 5001-10000 individuals. Some factors affecting population size and distribution are known, but 1 or more major factors are unknown.
Population trend in Australia over the past 50 years: Population formerly experienced serious declines but is presently stable or increasing.
Knowledge of population trend in Australia: Nation-wide monitoring, but not with statistical sensitivity.
Population concentration: Majority concentrates at more than 25 locations. (e.g. the number of sites in which individuals group together either seasonally, such as breeding sites, or they may occupy discrete habitat patches within the broader landscape, such as discrete water bodies or drainage units.)
Ongoing management activities in Australia: Management mostly related to enforcement of conservation laws.
Reproductive potential for recovery: The average number of eggs deposited per adult female per year is 51-200 eggs/female/year. Minimum age at which females are known or suspected to first reproduce is 2-3 years.
Range size in Australia: The size of the geographic area over which the taxon is distributed: 101-1000 km².
Distribution trend: Area occupied has declined by 25-74%. (This is an estimate of change in the portion of the total range that is occupied or utilised; it may not equal the change in total range.)
Knowledge of distribution in Australia: Distribution is well known and occurrence can be accurately predicted throughout the range.
References
Barker, J., G.C. Grigg and M.J. Tyler. 1995. A Field Guide to Australian Frogs. Surrey Beatty & Sons: Chipping Norton.
Cogger, H.G. 2000. Reptiles and amphibians of Australia. Reed Books: Sydney.
Swan, G. 2001. Green Guide to Frogs of Australia. New Holland: Sydney.