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June 20, 2008
Leseur's Frog
Posted by neil, at 09:13 AM
Leseur’s Frogs (Litoria lesueuri) emerge after dark from their diurnal concealment amongst leaf-litter on the dark-brown forest floor, where they elude the predatory appetites of a formidable avian oversight.
Like all members of the genus, Leseur’s have large finger and toe pads and horizontal pupils, however, males out-number females, perhaps as many as fifty-to-one. Adult Females, such as the one pictured, are three to four times the mass of males and much less gregarious and stream-bound (I get the impression that the greater mass of the female provides more liberty from running water).
It has been a tough year for wildlife sightings generally with the longest, coldest patch I have known since starting my nocturnal forays, fifteen years ago. The last couple of nights have been good for the primitive northern leaf-tailed and chameleon geckos, as well as the spectacular moth Lyssa Macleayi.
Posted by neil at June 20, 2008 09:13 AM
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Comments
Neil, as usual, a great photo. I get a silver rocket frog around here which looks very similar and moves very quickly through the wild sorghum. I probably get a few Leseur's but they are very quiet.
Last summer I had a lot of emerald spotteds and was amazed at how big they got and still retained their tadpole tail. Up to 50 mm.
Very quiet frog wise at the moment even in the warm drizzle.
Posted by: spangled drongo at June 20, 2008 11:28 AM
Impressive photo Neil.
Posted by: Luke at June 21, 2008 07:44 PM
It appears this frog's response to this intrusion on wilderness is a rude gesture.
Posted by: Schiller Thurkettle at June 22, 2008 03:38 AM