Person’s Tree-frog (Litoria peronii) has many common names due to its colour variability and its distinctive a high-pitched cackle call. Amongst its common names are Emerald-spotted Tree-frog, Emerald-speckled Tree-frog, Laughing Tree-frog and Maniacal-cackle frog.
Male adult length: 44–53 mm, while females are 46–65 mm.
Current conservation status: Common
Family: Hylidae
Appearance: This species is relatively large, and has broad round toe discs, yellow and black mottling behind the back legs, and tiny emerald green flecks on the back, which increse in numbers with age.
It has the ability to change colour in less than one hour, which makes it one of the most variabley coloured frogs in Australia. It varies in shades of grey and brown, where its lightest is almost white.
An important diagnostic characteristic, and uncommon in the genus Litoria, is pupils which appear cross-shaped (the reader might observe this cross-shape in the eyes shown in some of the photos). This characteristic is only shared with Tyler’s tree frog within the Litoria genus.
Length: 50mm
Breeding: Males start calling in about September/October and continue until December.
Habitat: Quite common in farmland with dams and swamps, where there are scattered large eucalypt trees, or where woodland is still present. This is the most arboreal frog occuring in the region, and may be found climbing up trees or shrubs and is often reported climbing up on window pane to catch insects at night. During the day the species may shelter in tree hollows and any loose bark in deep fissures in dead timber. In drier regions individuals shelter in rainwater tanks.
Distribution: Quite common in areas of suitable farmland and wooded areas in the region below 900 m.
Biology: Males usually call from dead trees, partly submerged logs, clumbs of rushes and reeds and other elevated perches in the water or at its edge. The tadpoles are very active and have a slightly striped appearance in the water. They are quite secretive, instantly dropping to a deeper depth in the water if they are disturbed.
Call: A loud descending rattle or cackle. A shorter chuckling sound is also made. This frog is often referred to as the "maniacle cackling frog", because of its call.
View distribution
Points of interest
AMA100: Upper Ginninderra Creek, Amaroo Pond ANB100: National Botanic Gardens ANU012: Dickson Rd/Clunies Ross Str. dam ARA100: Aranda Paddock Dam, adjacent to William Hovell Drive. ARA200: Dam near gate on Bindubi Street and straight N of ARA100 ARA300: Aranda bush dam BAR050: Lower Dam, west arm Barracks Creek QBN BAR200: Doyle Reserve, QBN BIL100: Billabong Park stormwater retention pond, Watson BIN100: Farm dam Little Burra BLA100: Blackey's Hill, Uriarra Rd. BMT100: Black Mountain Dam SW BSW001: Banksia Street Wetland - Oconnor BUN100: Elmslea water quality ponds, Bungendore BUR100: Dam at 80 Hilltop Rd, Burra BUR200: Dam at front of 84 Hilltop Rd, Burra BUR350: Ireland Dam BUR400: Dam on Matthews property CAP100: Butterfield Property Site A Dam CAP300: Butterfield Property Site C, Whiskers Creek CAV100: Caves Quarry Dam, Pierce's Creek Forest CBR001: Callum Brae Site 1 CBR002: Callum Brae Site 2 CBR003: Callum Brae Site 3 CBR004: Callum Brae Site 4 CDD200: Top dam of Cecily Dignan Farm Dams CEQ100: Canberra Equestrian Park, Pond 1, Chapman. CEQ200: Canberra Equestrian Park, Pond 2, Chapman. CFR200: Hodgman Property, large dam CFR300: Molonglo River, just off Captains Flat Rd CGH050: Hospital Creek, Namadgi National Park CHC200: Calvary Hospital Drain 2, Bruce CHC300: Calvary Hospital Pond CMC100: Cooleman Ridge, Old Dam CMC150: Dam near Chapman Water Tank CMC600: Mount Neighbor Horse Paddock Dam CMC700: Vikings BMX Park, Kambah CMM350: Downriver from Lanyon Homestead CMW500: Weston Creek Sediment Pond- former cross pollutant trap CON100: Conder Wetlands, pond A CON110: Conder Wetlands, pond B COO100: Cooleman Ridge, North-west Dam, off Kathner Street CRA300: Crace, Wells Station and Gungahlin Dr CRW001: Crace Wetland Pond 1 CTP450: Murrays Corner CTP500: Tanners Flat Creek Bridge CTP510: Tidbinbilla River on Paddy's River Road DGP001: Dunlop Grasslands Dam DIW100: Dickson Wetland, Hawdon Street DUC100: Duck Dam, Googong Dam Rd DUF100: Narrabundah Hill, Southern dam DUF200: Narrabundah Hill, North Dam FAD100: Fadden Hills Silt Pond FAD300: Wanniassa Hills Dam FAD500: Wanniassa Nature Reserve (North-east) FAR001: Farrer Ridge Dam 1 FAR002: Farrer Ridge Dam 2 FAR003: Farrer Ridge drainage line FBM100: Glenloch interchange dam FBM200: Black Mountain Storage Yard Pool FBM300: Black Mountain Path Pool FBM400: Black Mountain Dam Belconnen Way FBM500: Black Mountain, Fire Trail dam SW FER100: Fernhill Technology Park pond, Bruce FGC009: Jarramlee Pond Dunlop FGC030: Gooromon Ponds Creek, Dunlop FGC091: Ginninderra Creek Billabong, at Macgregor, via Crago Place FGD020: Oconnor Ridge Dam FGD030: AIS, Drain near bike path FGD040: Aranda Bushland Dam FMC040: Buttles Creek, Queanbeyan aka BUT095 FMC100: Levee bank, Fisher St Ainslie Identical with FMC060 need to be fused!!! FMC200: Mt Majura Dam, bottom, via McKenzie St. FMC210: Mt Majura Nature Reserve, top dam, via McKenzie St FMC220: Mt Majura Dam, lower, via Jukes St FMC230: Mt Majura dam at saddle - Doogie Dam FMF320: Justice Robert Hope Park Dam FMW010: David St Wetland, Oconnor FOR001: Forde Wetland between Horse Park Drive and Neil Harris Cres FOR002: Forde Pond FRA200: Edlington St Pond, Fraser FRA201: Halls Creek, Fraser FTD010: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Top Weir/Brolga Pond FTD015: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Vets Centre FTD030: Kanga Dam, "Warriwillah', Michelago FTD040: Wallaroo Dam, 'Warriwillah', Michelago FTD120: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Boardwalk Pond FTD160: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Barbeque Swamp FTD165: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Bottom Dam FTD200: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Flints(?), large dam at top FTD250: Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Flints(?), smaller dam at bottom FTP100: Isabella Pond FTT010: Tuggeranong Homestead GBY100: Backyard Pond, Fleetwood Smith St, Nicholls GOG001: Googong Dam, Tin Hut Dam GOG002: Googong Dam, Willow Crossing GOG003: Googong Dam, Plummers Dam GOG004: Burra Leaky Dam GUN100: Gungahlin Scout Hall Dam GUN300: Haystack Dam, gungahlin GUN700: Denoon Street Drain HAL001: Halls Creek Showground Bridge, Hall HAL002: Halls Creek, Pony Club, Hall HAL011: Halls Creek Showgroud Bridge - North HOS001: 175 Pollack Rd Hoskinstown Angus Adair's Farm ICH001: Illoura Paddock Dam JBD100: John Bisset Property Farm Dam No1, larger than No2 JBD200: John Bisset Property Farm Dam No2, smaller than No1 JER100: Jerrabomberra Creek at Barrett's JER500: JWs - Kelly's swamp @ Bittern Birdhide, WL#19 JER510: JWs - East of billabong, WL#22 JER520: JWs - Billabong, WL#21 JER530: JWs - Silt trap north, WL#18 JER540: JWs - between billabong and industrial estate, WL#24 JER560: JWs - Fulica Hide, WL#16 JER570: JWs - Kelly's swamp, southern end, WL#19 JER580: JWs - Silt trap, inflow, WL#18 KAM100: Kama Horse Paddocks, Dam 1, off William Hovell drive, Aranda KAM150: North Kama, south dam KAM200: Kama Horse Paddocks, Dam 2, off William Hovell drive, Aranda KAM300: Kama Horse Paddocks, Dam 3, off William Hovell drive, Aranda LAW100: Lawrence Pond, Higgins LBE200: Montague Place dam, Little Burra Estate, Googong LBE300: Dam at entrance to Little Burra Estate, Googong LDM100: Lookout Dam, Holt LWP100: Little Whiskers Rd, Pond Site LWR100: Little Whiskers Rd, River Site MCQ150: McQuoids Creek Large Dam MCW002: McKellar wetland, constructed 2004 MFL001: First pond from entrance MFL002: Second pond from entrance MFL003: Shearing Shed Dam MFL004: Mulligans Flat Site 4 MFL005: MFL006: Mulligans Flat Site 6 MFL007: Mulligans Flat Site 7 MFL008: In northern section of park, MFL009: northern section of park MFL010: North side of Sutton Road MFL011: Large dam near southern border MFL012: near bird site number 8 MFL013: Dam in SE of reserve near bird site 7 MFL014: most easterly dam in park MFL015: East side of Mulligans Flat MFL016: Eastern end of reserve MFL017: Eastern side of reserve MFL018: In gully at foot of hill MFL020: near bird site 5 MFL021: near site 20 MFL022: MFL023: Daisy Gate Small dam MFL055: pond near MFL005 MGC200: Murrumbidgee Golf Course swampy spot MIT100: Gungahlin Cemetary, Mitchell MIT200: Hibberson St Pond, Mitchell MOL350: Misery Point MOL360: Happy Point MOL602: Beard Creek 1 MUR100: Top dam on Lewis property, 'Gang Gang", Murrumbateman MUR200: Chain of ponds on Lewis property "Gang Gang', Murrumbateman MUR250: Lake Kevin MYR300: Top dam at Myrtle Rise, Hall NAD011: National Arboretum Dam NAD034: National Arboretum Dam near Cork oak Lot 34 NAD036: National Arboretum Larch Dam Forest 36 NAS100: Southern Tablelands Enviro Park NBP001: Southern pond at Nursery Inlet NBP002: Northern pond at Nursery Inlet NBP003: Royal Golf Club pond, off Lady Denman Dr NPG100: North Paddock Dam, Gundaroo Common NUM999: Lake Numerella ORA002: Orana School Dam OSR001: Dam 1. Front gate OSR002: Dam 2 OSR003: Dam 3. Big back dam OSR004: Dam 4 Swim Dam OSR005: Dam 5. Hidden Dam PAI200: Mt Painter, Wildflower Triangle Dam PAR100: Parsons Property, Molonglo River at house. PAR200: Parsons Property, Molonglo River Site 2 PCF001: Dam near Pierces Creek PIN010: Backyard pond, Ambalindum St, Hawker PIN100: Pinnacle Dam, Hawker PIP010: Pipeline Creek Reserve, Jerrabomberra PLM100: Laver Farm Dam 1 PLM200: Laver Farm Dam 2 PLM300: Laver Farm, Gully Dam PLM310: Laver Farm, Gully Dam - 100m upstream from PLM300 PLM400: Laver Farm Dam 3 (on adjacent property) PNG100: Pinenut Grove House Dam QBN010: 33 Lonergan Drive, Greenleigh QBN012: Mountain Rd Dam QBN465: Queanbeyan River adj Dane St RBG001: Redbrow Gardens Lake RCD001: Rose Cottage horse paddock 8 and Dam RCD002: Rose Cottage paddock 7 dam RIV001: Riverview Dam Paddock Dam RIV002: Riverview River Paddock Dam RIV003: Riverview Conservation Area Dam SFF100: Stromlo Forest Retention Dam SFF101: Stromlo Forest Retention Dam STI100: Molonglo River at Murrumbidgee STP050: Strathnairn Gallery interim pond STP100: Strathnairn Gallery Main Pond STP150: Strathnairn Gallery Southern pond STR100: Strathhearn Dam, Gundaroo SUT100: Dam 1, "Macrorrhyncha", Moseley Property, Sutton SUT101: Dam 2, "Macrorrhyncha", Moseley Property, Sutton TAL001: Tallulah Dam 1 TAY100: Mt Taylor Dam 1 TAY200: Mt Taylor Dam 2 TBD001: Tannoch Brae Farm Dam TGN200: Gudgenby River below Naas Crossing TRA100: Travica property, Gundaroo. Lower Dam TSC100: Tuggeranong Sporting Club Dam TSR048: Gundaroo-Gunning Road TUG100: North-East Lake Tuggeronong UBD015: Urila Bottom Dam UCM200: Mulligans Flat UC Site 2 UCM300: Mulligans Flat UC Site 3 UHD015: Urila Home Dam, UMD005: Point Hut Crossing, Gordon UMD006: Kambah Pool, Kambah UMS003: Scottsdale, Gungoandra creek, at shed UMS004: Scottsdale, Top Dam, URI001: Uriarra Road permanent frog site (35) URI002: Uriarra Road. Pine Plantation Dam WAM001: Wamboin Community Centre Dam WAM003: Sylvia's Dam WAM005: Merran's Pond, Bywong WAN001: Dam at 232 Wanna Wanna Road WEE001: Weetalabah, QBN WEE002: Weetalabah - site 2 WEE004: Weetalabah - site 4 WEE100: Weemalla, Fairview Rd, Wallaroo Sarah's site WGC001: Woodhaven Golf Course XER002: Top Pond, CIT dept of Horticulture, Weston XER003: Middle or Large Pond, CIT dept of Horticulture YRR100: Yass River Reserve, Gundaroo BON300 Upper Stranger Pond Bonython HOL110 Holder wetlands site, btw Cotter Rd and Dixon DrPlaces
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