Slender Tree Frog

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Hope Rd, Bibra Lake, Perth.

This frog comes in two colours. Brown with a darker brown stripe running down from the snout through the eye and down the body, and a green colour with a dark brown stripe down the side. This frog is called a slender tree frog because of its long slender body and because it is a climbing frog.

They live along the coast of the Southwest of Western Australia no further inland than to Mundaring Weir. They live in the thick reeds at the sides of lakes, streams and ponds.

This photograph was taken at Thompson Lake Perth June 3. This Slender Tree frog clung to the umbrella as we took a photo in the rain.

These are the feet of the Slender Tree frog. See how the toes are webbed and have digits?

Bibra Lake Perth November 21. This little guy did not mind the warmth of our hands.

Thomson Lake Perth June 3. We think this is a brown Slender Tree frog.

Spot the frog! This is how little they look sitting half way up the reeds. Who would think such a little male frog could produce so much noise!

Piney Lakes January 4 on the broad walk. I found this Brown Slender Tree frog sitting in a small tree, very cute!

It had its eye on dinner flying around.

What does this frog eat?

This frog catches flying insects mostly with its long broad tongue. It acts like sticky paper. Slender Tree frogs like to sit up in the reeds where it can be higher and probably catch more variety of flying insects and where it can throw its voice to heard from quite a distance.

Here you can see the leg muscles of the Slender Tree Frog. Neither of these two frogs were hurt in taking these photographs.

Here you can see the red spots or patches on the Brown Slender Tree frogs hind leg. Sometimes they can be yellow.

This frog was found at Whiteman Park north of Perth west side entrance August 7. We think this is a Slender Tree frog, it was a combination of brown and green colours and was very skinny.

The eggs are attached to plants in a mass on the surface of the water. Tadpoles have labial teeth.

Males are 34-34mm long from snout to vent and females are larger being around 42-47mm long from snout to vent.

Tuart Forest near Bussleton August 15. This little guy came hopping across the grass around our picnic table at Layman picnic site. Here you can see areas of yellow under its legs.

Photograph taken by Tracey Martinovich.
This is the same frog as the one on the left at Tuart Forest.

Some frogs can slightly change their skin colour to help them to blend in better with their environment. I don't think they can turn pink though. I have seen a brown slender tree frog change from dark chocolate brown to a light cream in approximately an hour.

These photographs below were taken at Piney Lakes on November the 21st at the main lakes edge. I have found more brown Slender Tree frogs than the Green Slender Tree frogs. Green Slender Tree frogs can be found at Bibra Lake on Hope Rd Perth. I have seen them here several times.

Update;

This frog was seen at the Rockingham Environmental Centre.

Other Places where I have possibly heard these frogs.
Tuart Forest near Busselton in August on the possum walk trail.
Blue Gum Lake in south Perth in June.
Collie in the South-west in a farmers paddock around a water catchment area.
Lane Poole Reserve near Nanga Mill with Motorbike frogs.

As this is a rapid sounding frog there is little pause between calls except when they all seem to stop together then in unison begin again. Its quite spooky when they all pause together like a conductor has momentarily stopped them.

Text

"Frogs Of Western Australia" by M J Tyler, L A Smith, R E Johnstone.

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All photos Copyright © Rachel Martinovich 2003 unless otherwise mentioned. Contact us Wildlife Education Services
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