Frogs of Australia

Regional guides

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Key guide to Victorian frogs

The Frogs of Victoria project is retained only for the great key guide. Work through a series of questions until, finally, your frog is identified.

Key guide

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Litoria peroni

Peron's Tree Frog

Also: Emerald-spotted Tree Frog, Laughing Tree Frog, Maniacal Cackle Frog

+ 49 kb Peron's Tree Frog (Litoria peroni)

Sometimes known as the Maniacal Cackle Frog due to its distinctive call. A large and agile climber, widespread throughout the Murray-Darling basin, but only locally common.

Distribution and habitat

Adults frequent wet and dry forest, woodlands, shrublands, and open areas; often long distances from the water where they spawn during breeding season. Eggs and tadpoles are found in still water in swamps, dams, streamside ponds, and lagoons.

There is a detailed distribution map available for: Victoria.

Calling

Males call from near water either on the ground or in vegetation. The call is very long and drawn out, slowly pulsed and increasing in loudness - "cra-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahhk".

Life cycle

Distinguishing characteristics

Litoria peroni's pupil appears to be cross-shaped. Copyright Amphibian Research Centre.

+ 43 kb Litoria peroni's pupil appears to be cross-shaped.

Adult length: 45-70mm.
The eggs are pigmented in jelly. The tadpoles are pale golden-yellow to iridescent green. Adults have bright yellow with black mottling on armpits, groin, and backs of thighs. They have a cross-shaped pupil and small (sometimes indistinct) emerald green flecks on the back.

Visible features

Presented here is the information stored in the frogs.org.au database which is used to identify frogs based on their appearance. It is intended to be used in a key guide for separating species so some of the information (for example, back colours) may be rather non-specific. The system is currently being developed - if you notice errors in the data, please write to Dave Black at the address at the bottom of the page.

Important note: This information details only the appearance of the frog. If an "or" appears in the description, this may mean either that there is some variation within the species or that the feature might be observed differently by different people. For example, if a frog has very small toe pads, it may be listed as having "Toe pads: present or absent".