Cophixalus ornatus

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a dark brown, light brown, cream-coloured or grey back, with black, brown, or pale orange-pink mottling. There is sometimes a dark horizontal stripe between the eyes, a dark W-shaped marking on the upper back, a pale longitudinal stripe along the middle of the back, and pale eye spots with a black edge on the lower back. There is a black stripe behind the eye. The belly is cream-coloured, grey, or light brown. The pupil is horizontal and the iris is gold. The groin and back of the thighs are pale yellow. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both with large discs.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid as small strings on land under rocks, logs, and leaf litter in wet soil. The nest is guarded by the male, as it is with other Cophixalus species. Tadpoles never swim in water; instead they develop entirely inside the egg and hatch as little frogs after 28 days. Breeds during spring to summer after rain.

Similar Species

Looks similar to Cophixalus australis in its distribution, but has pale yellow on the groin and back of the thighs, which is absent in Cophixalus australis.