Green-and-Gold Bell Frog

(Litoria aurea)

Live: Introduced to New Zealand, with populations in the upper half of the North Island.

Habitat: Usually found near/in lakes, ponds and streams. They originate in the eastern coastal area of New South Wales and upper Victoria, Australia.

Diet: In the wild the frog eats a variety of small insects and other invertebrates, also other frogs. (Frogs are carnivores!)
In captivity they are fed small live insects.

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, gambusia) and disease/pathogens (e.g. chytrid fungus, viruses) and climate change are also of serious concern.

General: Brown, dull olive to bright emerald green on its back with large brown or golden blotches. A pale stripe runs down the spine and a dark streak runs from the snout over the eye and tympanum (ear). Above this streak a cream skin fold runs down to the groin. The groin and the backs of the thighs are bright blue or blue-green. The belly is white. The toes are nearly fully webbed.

Lessons learned from overseas frog conservation is of value in protecting native New Zealand frogs. DO NOT MOVE FROGS from where you find them. Do not release pet frogs anywhere in New Zealand. The chytrid fungus is affecting native frogs – do not allow it to spread further!

At Hamilton Zoo a small group is held in the old reptile house; these were collected near Zoo ponds, where you may see others.

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. Their pupils of native frogs are round, whereas those of the introduced frogs are more slitted. The tadpole stage of development is almost discarded in native frogs - 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).