The Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea), also named the Green Bell Frog, Green and Golden Swamp Frog and Green Frog, is a ground-dwelling tree frog native to eastern Australia. Despite its classification and climbing abilities, it does not live in trees and spends almost all of its time close to ground level. It can reach up to 11 centimetres (4.3 in) in length, making it one of Australia's largest frogs.
Coloured gold and green, the frogs are voracious eaters of insects but will also eat larger prey such as worms and mice. Unlike most frogs, they are active at day although this is mostly to tan in the sun. They tend to be less active in winter except in warmer or wetter periods, and breed in the warmer months. Males reach maturity after around nine months, while for the larger females, this does not occur until they are two years old. The frogs can engage in cannibalism, and males frequently attack and injure one another if they infringe on one another's space.
Many populations, particularly in the Sydney region, inhabit areas of frequent disturbance, such as golf courses, disused industrial land, brick pits and landfill areas. Though once one of the most common frogs in south-east Australia, the Green and Golden Bell Frog has endured major population declines, particularly in highland areas, leading to its current classification as globally vulnerable. Its numbers have continued to fall and are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, pollution, introduced species, and parasites and pathogens, including chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis). As most of the remaining populations live on private land, the logistics of the conservation effort can be complicated. Despite the situation in Australia, the frog remains abundant in New Zealand and several other Pacific Islands, where it has been introduced.
Read more about Green And Golden Bell Frog: Taxonomy, Distribution, Description, Ecology and Behaviour, Conservation Status
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