Frogs of Australia

frogs.org.au > Frogs of Australia > Uperoleia genus > Uperoleia laevigata

Uperoleia laevigata

Smooth Toadlet

Also: Eastern Gungan

Smooth Toadlet (Uperoleia laevigata) Copyright Scott Eipper. Photograph by Scott Eipper.

+ 41 kb Smooth Toadlet (Uperoleia laevigata)

A small to moderate species, this frog is common along the east coast from East Gippsland to southern Queensland.

Distribution and habitat

Distribution map for Uperoleia laevigata

Adults are found in dry forest, woodlands, open and disturbed areas. Although most commonly found near water, they can be found in dry depressions that flood in winter or spring. Eggs and tadpoles are aquatic and found in ponds, lagoons, dams, lakes, and flooded grassland.

There is a detailed distribution map available for: Victoria.

Calling

Males call from the ground or in low vegetation near water. The call is a long buzzing call - "eeeeeeeeeeeeep" - lasting about a second, and repeated every two to three seconds.

Copyright Murray Littlejohn. Recorded by Murray Littlejohn. Must not be reproduced without permission.

Life cycle

Life cycle for Uperoleia laevigata

Distinguishing characteristics

Uperoleia laevigata Adult length: 20-35mm.
Eggs are pigmented and scattered, attached to submerged vegetation. The tadpoles are unknown. Adults have a large and well-developed parotoid gland, and red spots concealed in the groin and behind the knee. The belly is not fully pigmented.

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".

Size

Up to between 30mm and 60mm

Eyes, hands, and feet

Pupils: horizontal

Toe pads: absent

Webbing on feet: no webbing

Belly

Texture: smooth

Pattern: marbled or peppered

Colour: multi-coloured featuring a colour in addition to black, grey, and white

Back

Texture: rough or warty

Pattern: plain or spotted or mixed / marbled

Colour: single colour or multi-coloured

Glands and tubercles

Parotoid gland: present

Tibial gland: absent

Metatarsal tubercles: Non-keratinised glands present (fleshy or uncoloured)

Similar species (note: this version was written for Victorian species).

Distinguished from most other species by the presence of its large well-developed parotoid glands, and from the other two Uperoleia species (Uperoleia martini and Uperoleia tyleri) by the belly not being fully pigmented and by the presence of a yellowish or light triangular patch on the head, the corners of which are the two upper eyelids and the tip of the nose. This species may be distinguished from Philoria frosti by having both inner and outer metatarsal tubercles.

The scientific names of Uperoleia laevigata

  • Uperoleia marmorata laevigata (Keferstein 1867)
  • Uperoleia laevigata (Keferstein 1867)

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