Identification needed!

[cootiesami]

Found this frog today! What kind is it?

 

[Dannyboi]

Wow its really blurry makes it hard to tell but I would have to guess Litoria Ewingi.

Yeah It has to be where was this little fella?

 

[cootiesami]

It was found in a cesar salad bowl kit at work a customer bbought and the customer bought it back. They were going to destroy it. I said i would take it home to identify it and release it. But i think he is really stressed cos he wont eat any crickets.

 

[Dannyboi]

Where are you from? releasing it may be a bad idea as it can spread disease. Depending on your state you should either hand it over to a banana box frog group or if you are in SA you can just keep it or give it to me? any way I think they are off permit in most states so you could just sell it to someone. With that kind of green then people will deffs pay for it.

Actually I would pay you for it.

 

[ReptileRacksAust]

It’s a Whistling Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxi), and due to the amount of green on it, it’s possibly even an Alpine Tree Frog (Litoria verreauxi alpina).
Regardless of what it is, it shouldn’t be released. It could be sick / diseased, and you also have no idea where it is from
I’m not sure what state you’re in, but if you’re in Melbourne it should be handed in to the Amphibian Research Centre’s ‘Lost frogs Home’. RSPCA facilities and the zoos all collect for them or you could email them to find a closer place to drop it into.
This species isn’t off licence in most states, and is actually considered Threatened in NSW and Vic, at least if it’s the ‘alpina’ subspecies

 

[Dannyboi]

I am ready to say that Ewingi have been found completely green. The Whistlting Tree frog is also a common name for the Ewingi. As I said its a blurry photo.

as you can see they get fairly green. This is not my pic

Not only that but the Litoria verreauxi have black rather than brown.

 

[fairy09]

We had these everywhere in our home in Albany Western Australia.

 

[ReptileRacksAust]

You’re right Dannyboi, 'Whistling' can be used for both species (unfortunatelly), which is why I also listed the species I was referring to.

I'll also concede that the two species we’re discussing are extremely closely related, and I was a little gung-ho with the declaration that it was L.verreauxi... without listening to the males call (and even then), they can be virtually impossible to differentiate, even in the hand. It’s just that L.verreauxi do tend to be more green, more often. And no, L.verreauxi don’t always have black rather than brown, they just have the tendency to have darker markings.

There is no way to determine the absolute I.D. of this individual, and I have no doubt that you know your frogs. My primary objective with these two posts, is to discourage the release of the frog, and to hopefully point the frog in the right direction.

So the answer is that it’s either a Brown Tree Frog (L.ewingi), or a Whistling Tree Frog (L.verreauxi), and regardless of what it is, shouldn’t be released.

 

[Dannyboi]

Oh yeah deffinately shouldn't be realeased I am with you on that one and apparently the frog was packed in salisbury which would rule out L.verreauxi unless the lettuce or whatever came from interstate and wasnt checked. The only reason we can't 100% ID it is because we cannot see it clearly.

 

[cootiesami]

 

[Dannyboi]

Yeah definitely a Ewingi and a stunner at that. Bit maybe larger crickets would get him going.

could you get a side on shot and a stomach shot so we can see what condition he is in? The only concern is he may be sick

 

[dossy]

can i ask what the big deal is about releasing him?? sorry im a bit of a dope at things like this but if u wfound a snake wouldnt u want it released or a lizrd or sumfink?? please do not roast me about it

 

[Dannyboi]

They carry disease such as red leg and chytrid fungus. Which is fatal and will dessimate the local frogs. Catch and release is different as you raise them from tadpoles and return them to the place you found them.

 

[cootiesami]

 

[Dannyboi]

Looks fairly good. Can't tell for sure though as the plastic is obstructing the picture.