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ANIMAL SPECIES:Spotted Marsh Frog

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The Spotted Marsh Frog is usually the first frog to colonise new dams, ditches and water-covered areas on disturbed ground.

Alternative Name/s

Spotted Grass Frog

Identification

The Spotted Marsh Frog is quite small and usually a grey-green or brown colour with irregular dark patches. These colours vary and it sometimes has a light-coloured stripe running down its back.

Size range

4.5 cm

Distribution

The Spotted Marsh Frog is found throughout eastern Australia.

Habitat

The Spotted Marsh Frog lives in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and freshwater habitats in heath.

Behaviour and adaptations

Other behaviours and adaptations

This frog is adaptable and well suited to urban environments. It is usually the first frog to colonise new dams, ditches and water-covered areas on disturbed ground.

Communication

The Spotted Marsh Frog can be heard throughout the year, calling with a distinctive machine-gun-like 'uk-uk-uk' repeated at regular intervals.

Life cycle

During spawning, the female Spotted Marsh Frogs make a floating foam or bubble raft in which the fertilised eggs are suspended. The tadpoles hatch after a few days and drop into the water as the nest-raft disintegrates.

Classification

Species:
tasmaniensis
Genus:
Limnodynastes
Family:
Myobatrachidae
Order:
Anura
Subclass:
Lissamphibia
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?


Last Updated: 21 February 2011

7 comments

Anne G

AnneG
3.02 PM, 20 February 2011

"a floating foam or bubble raft in which the fertilised eggs are suspended. The tadpoles hatch after a few days and drop into the water as the nest-raft disintegrates." This is what I found in my tiny garden pond this week. (Feb 17) I'm planning to raise the tadpoles in an aquarium, for their own safety, then release back where they came from. I haven't seen the adult, only hear it so I'm not positive about identification.

Michelle Cranna

cranster63
7.02 PM, 19 February 2010

Hi Jodi, thanks that is very interesting info, and love your photo. In the week or so after I took the photos I observed the loser frog picking fights with other male spotted marsh frogs at various locations around the pond. I think he just turned out to be a real trouble-maker, a frog with his own restless personality. Fun to watch.

Jodi Rowley STAFF

Jodi Rowley
1.02 PM, 04 February 2010

Male frogs of many species do fight, particularly in species where good calling or breeding sites are more likely to result in success. Males also tend to fight more often when females are uncommon at breeding sites. Many species of marsh frogs (Limnodynastes) are known to engage in ‘male-combat’- and that might be the reason that male marsh frogs tend to be larger overall, and have much bigger, more muscle-bound arms compared to females. Larger individuals tend to be more successful in these wresting bouts, and the puffed up bodies many be an attempt to look as large as possible, and hence maybe scare off the competitor.

Great photos!
 
I've posted a similar image that I took of Limnodynastes interioris from Condobolin, NSW.


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Michelle Cranna

cranster63
12.02 PM, 01 February 2010

Fighting spotted marsh frogs

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Michelle Cranna

cranster63
12.02 PM, 01 February 2010

fighting spotted marsh frogs

Comment Attachment

Michelle Cranna

cranster63
12.02 PM, 01 February 2010

Do male frogs fight??? Anybody know. I took a set of photos of what appeared to be two spotted marsh frogs fighting over the prime spawning position in my frog pond. Looked like they were trying do drown eachother - they both puffed up to prevent this. Link to photos - http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/576564239sIKBqd

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Spotted Marsh Frog on moss

Spotted Marsh Frog on moss View full size
GA Hoye © Australian Museum

Spotted Marsh Frog - Limnodynastes tasmaniensis

Spotted Marsh Frog - Limnodynastes tasmaniensis View full size
Glenn Shea/Gerry Swan © Australian Museum

Spotted Marsh Frog Life cycle

Spotted Marsh Frog Life cycle View full size
Andrew Howells © Australian Museum

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