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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Roth's Tree Frog
Litoria rothii
Agile and slender, it is famous for its bright silver-gray coloration and the hidden scarlet red or yellow flash marks in its groin and armpits. Strictly nocturnal and highly vocal.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Pelodryadidae
Subfamily:Litoriinae
Genus:Litoria
Species:Litoria rothii
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
60 - 80 %
Day temperature
24 - 28 °C
Night temperature
20 - 24 °C
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed throughout the coastal wetlands, swamps, flooded mangroves, and wooded savannas of northern Australia, spanning from the Kimberley region to Queensland. This nocturnal, arboreal frog spends the day resting in tree hollows, bark crevices, or under branches to escape the sun and predators.
Taxonomy and Genetics: *Litoria rothii* is a medium-sized tree frog, reaching 4–5 cm in adult length. The dorsal skin is variable, shifting from silver-gray to brown or pale white, mimicking tree bark. The inner thighs, groin, and armpits feature bright yellow or scarlet red patches bordered with black (flash coloration used to startle predators). The digits end in large adhesive discs.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily active at night. During the day, they remain quiet and camouflaged on vertical surfaces. At night, they explore and hunt with agility. The species is famously called the "Northern Laughing Tree Frog" due to the male's loud breeding call, which resembles a deep, staccato monkey-like laugh.
Morphology: Mature females are larger, rounder, and heavier than males. Males are more slender and possess a dark, loose vocal sac under the throat that inflates during calling, along with small nuptial pads on their thumbs during the breeding season.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a vertically oriented forest terrarium (minimum 60x45x60 cm). Furnish the enclosure with thick branches, large pieces of cork bark, and live plants with broad leaves (like giant *Pothos*) to provide secure shelter. A large, shallow water area is essential. Use a proper bio-active substrate with a draining clay layer to prevent water stagnation and build-up of waste.
Lighting and Heating: Requires tropical to subtropical conditions, with daytime temperatures between 25–28°C. Ensure a warm basking area, but maintain good ventilation to avoid fatal heat stress in hot weather. Night temperatures should drop to 21–23°C. A 5% UVB light is highly beneficial to support bone density and prevent metabolic bone disease.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels (70–80%). High-quality ventilation (via mesh screens) is crucial, as stagnant humidity combined with waste can lead to deadly bacterial dermatosis ("red leg" syndrome). Mist the enclosure with dechlorinated water in the evening, allowing it to dry out during the day.
Feeding and Supplementation: Voracious insectivores with large mouths. They will readily consume crickets, locusts, and roaches. Dust the prey with a calcium, D3, and multivitamin supplement three times a week to prevent nutritional deficiencies and preserve their health.
Compatibility: Peaceful and social with similarly sized conspecifics. They can be housed in groups or harems. However, they will readily swallow smaller frogs, geckos, or insects due to their wide gape, so avoid housing them with smaller tankmates.
Health and Common Diseases: Generally robust, but highly sensitive to chemicals. Never handle them with bare hands, as soap residues can burn their skin. Startled frogs may leap into the glass, leading to snout abrasions that can become infected. Regular cleaning of the water bowl and enclosure is mandatory.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Widely distributed throughout the coastal wetlands, swamps, flooded mangroves, and wooded savannas of northern Australia, spanning from the Kimberley region to Queensland. This nocturnal, arboreal frog spends the day resting in tree hollows, bark crevices, or under branches to escape the sun and predators.
Origin
Extra-Amazon South AmericaNorth AmericaAfrica and MadagascarEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaEast AsiaAustralia, New Guinea, and Oceania
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 5.5 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 5.5 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 5.5 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
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