Green-and-Gold Bell Frog

Litoria aurea

• Distribution:
  Originally found in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia, and introduced to the North Island of New Zealand
• Habitat:
  Usually found near lakes, ponds and streams
• Diet:
  In the wild they eat a variety of insects and invertebrates. At the zoo, they are fed small live insects.
• Gestation:
  Males croak to attract a mate, eggs are fertilised externally and may lay hundreds of eggs
• Longetivity:
  Around 10-15 years
• Conservation status:
   
  In Australia, vulnerable, rare and protected. Loss of habitat (due to human impact/urbanisation/tourism, degraded water quality, herbicides, insecticides, eutrophication due to excessive nutrients) is a major issue. Exotic predators (e.g. trout, gamb
• General:

  Brown, dull olive to bright emerald green on its back with large brown or golden blotches. The belly is white. The toes are nearly fully webbed. Unlike most frog species, these frogs are often active during the day. When handled, they secrete slimy mucus.

  Telling the difference:
  As native frogs have no external eardrum and their hearing is poor, it follows that they are less vocal than your 'average' frog! They may squeak. Introduced frogs make the typical frog 'croaks' and calls. The pupils of native frogs are round, whereas those of the introduced frogs are slit-eyed.

  The tadpole stage of development is almost discarded in native frogs (except Hochstetter’s frog) – the embryo develops inside the egg and at hatching is almost a fully-formed frog. Introduced frogs have the typical life-cycle: egg (water) –tadpole (water) – pollywog (water to land) – adult (land).

  Do not move frogs from where you find them. Do not release pet frogs anywhere in New Zealand unless you know the origin of your pet then it can be returned there. The chytrid fungus is affecting native frogs – do not allow it to spread further!