Uperoleia fusca

Conservation Status

Calling Period

Description

A small species of frog reaching up to 3 cm in body length. It has a dark brown or grey back, with small black patches. There is often a pale brown triangular patch on the head. The belly is light brown and covered with tiny white specks; the male has a dark grey throat. The pupil is horizontal, and the iris is gold. The tops of the arms at the shoulder are pale brown or pale yellow, and the groin and the backs of the thighs are bright orange or yellow. Fingers and toes are unwebbed, both without discs. The parotoid glands are large.

Breeding Biology

Eggs are laid singly on vegetation under the surface of the water in ponds, swamps, flooded grassland, and ditches. Tadpoles can reach a total length of up to 4 cm., and are brown in colour with gold patches and a distinct gold, longitudinal stripe from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. They often remain hidden at the shallow edges of water bodies, and take around three months to develop into frogs. Breeds during spring to autumn.

Similar Species

Looks very similar to Uperoleia laevigata and Uperoleia rugosa in its distribution, but has brown on the under-surface of the thighs.