Frogs of the Perth Metropolitan Region
The frog species which can be found in the Perth Metropolitan Region are divided into two areas: The Darling Range, and The Swan Coastal Plain.
Frogs Found in the Darling Range
Whooping Frog
Heleioporus inornatus
Look for: plain brown back and sides
Breeding Season: late autumn
Male Call: whoop whoop whoop
Crawling Frog
Pseudophryne guentheri
Look for: short arms and legs, crawls
Breeding Season: winter
Male Call: short, sharp grating sound
Sand Frog
Heleioporus psammophilus
Look for: body with grey and brown mottling
Breeding Season: late autumn
Male Call: high pitched trilling ‘purr’
Chocolate Spotted Frog
Heleioporus albopunctatus
Look for: white or yellow spots on brown body
Breeding Season: late autumn
Male Call: Coo
Humming Frog
Neobatracus pelobatoides
Look for: thin red line down centre of back
Breeding Season: winter
Male Call: humming sound
Lea’s Frog
Geocrinia leai
Look for: Smooth, pale green belly
Breeding Season: winter
Male Call: tk tk tk tk
Hooting Frog
Heleioporus barycragus
Look for: yellow spots on sides
Breeding Season: Late autumn
Male Call: owl like “hoot”
Bleating Crinia
Crinia pseudinsignifera
Look for: belly with grey spots
Breeding Season: winter to early spring
Male Call: ba ba ba
Frogs Found in the Swan Coastal Plain
Motorbike Frog
Litoria moorei
Look for: webbed toes, green and gold back
Breeding Season: late spring through summer
Male Call: grr,grr,grr (like a motorbike changing gears)
Quacking Frog
Crinia georgiana
Look for: red patches between legs, red or gold eyelids
Breeding Season: winter
male Call: a loud ‘quack’
Slender Tree Frog
Litoria adelaidensis
Look for: webbed toes, yellow or red spotting on back of legs
Breeding season: late winter and spring
Male Call: single, loud ’screech’
Turtle Frog
Myobatrachus gouldii
Look for: small head on fat body, skin loose fitting
Breeding Season: late summer
Male Call: deep croaks
Moaning Frog
Heleioporus eyrei
Look for: brown and grey back with yellow patch on side of body
Breeding Season: late autumn
Male Call: a long drawn out moan
Clicking Crinia
Crinia glauerti
Look for: belly lumpy with black and white patchwork
Breeding Season: winter through to early summer
Male Call: like a “pea rattling in a can”
Banjo Frog
Limnodynastes dorsalis
Look for: red around base of legs, pale line down centre of back
Breeding Season: winter and spring
Male Call: single, very loud ‘bonk’
Squelching Crinia
Crinia insignifera
Look for: belly with grey spots
Breeding Season: winter
Male Call: a low ’squelch’
Source: Western Australian Museum Alcoa Frog Watch Fact Sheet
Published by WA Museum, Francis Street, Perth Telephone 9427 2750
We have frogs breeding in our swimming pool (Mundaring). They look and sound like motorbike frogs. Three have stripes but one is light green. Are they all the same species? There are a lot of taddies so we can’t put our pump on. We are thinking of setting up an actual frog pond on another part of our property (1 Ha). Any advice on when/how to shift them safely and how to look after them?
Motorbike frogs change their colours to suit their surroundings and the when mine swim in my pool they are light green with gold stripes, but when they are concealed in the bushes they are brown to black. But if your light green one is a uniform colour you might have a slender tree frog, there. They can be green to gold, and again change colour to match their surroundings.
You probably wont be able to move your frogs as such. They will locate themselves where they want. If you are itching to get your pool up to scratch for Christmas you may have to catch the taddies as they will definitely die when you add chlorine. They are very sensitive to it. Establish your pond first and let the water sit for a week to give the chemicals time to dissipate before transferring the tadpoles. Good luck and happy frogging.