Australia is home to hundreds of different frog species that can be found in every kind of environment across the Land Down Under. Terrestrial, arboreal, and aquatic frogs can be found in every part of Australia and many are protected by law.
There are approximately 250 known frog species in Australia and about 93% of them are native. Frogs you can find in Australia include the Dainty Green Tree Frog, Green Tree Frog, Australian Red-eyed Tree Frog.
Here are some common frog species you an find in Australia and where they are located:
| Frog Species | Australia Location | Habitat |
| Dainty Green Tree Frog | North, East | Aquatic |
| Australian Green Tree Frog | North, East | Aquatic |
| Australian Red-Eyed Tree Frog | South | Arboreal |
| Pouched Frog | South | Terrestrial |
| Corroboree Frog | South | Aquatic |
| Great Barred Frog | East | Aquatic |
| Spotted Grass Frog | South, West | Terrestrial |
| Goldfields BullFrog | West | Terrestrial |
| Green Thighed Frog | South-East | Arboreal |
| Western Spotted Frog | South, West | Terrestrial |
Most of these frog species are vastly distributed in Australiaās southern and northern parts, inhabiting different ecological environments. Many species are common, endemic to Australia, or invasive, while some are rare with unique features.
If you are on a hunt to observe different Australian frog species in the wild, then you have come to the right place. I will be covering 10 common frog species that you can find in Australia and cover some of their key features so can use effortlessly recognize them in their habitat.
1. Dainty Green Tree Frog
The Dainty Green Frog is frail in appearance with a size of 45mm. It has rough granular skin, and its body is a mixture of rich green and yellow. This species is located in the Eastern and Northern coast of Australia, where it is prominent.
They can be found in various habitats, including the rainforests, streams, swamps, and woodland. They breed during summer and lay eggs in a jelly chunk in water. Tadpole development takes about 14 weeks. They feed on lizards, spiders, crickets, and cockroaches.
2. Australian Green Tree Frog
The Australian Green Tree Frog is a chubby amphibian that is native to Australia. Its size ranges from 77mm to 110mm. Its skin is smooth with a brownish or greyish green color. It can be located in most of the Northern and Eastern parts of Australia.
The Australian Green Tree Frog occupies rainforests, forests, streams, and other cool places. This particular species breeds November to February, where the female lays 200 to 2,000 eggs. Australian Green Tree Frog tadpoles take an estimated six weeks to develop.
Australian Green Tree Frogs like to eat crickets, moths, cockroaches, and locusts.
3. Australian Red-eyed Tree Frog
The Australian Red-eyed Tree Frog is slender with a size ranging from 62mm to 68mm in length. It has fine skin with vibrant colors of green, yellow, and blue and bright red eyes.
The Australian Red-eyed Tree Frog is located in the southern and northern parts of Australia, where it thrives. You can find them in forest pools, streams, and rainforests. They live mainly on trees, especially tall trees in the rainforests. They breed around November to December and lay eggs immediately after heavy rainfall.
Their eggs take 6 to 7 days to turn into tadpoles. This unique amphibian is insectivorous and mainly feeds on crickets, grasshoppers, flies, and moths.
4. Pouched Frog
A Pouched Frog is a plump frog that can grow up to 28mm in length. It has coarse granular skin with a reddish-brown color. It is located in the southern part of Australia, where it reproduces rapidly. These frogs can be found in mountainous regions, rainforests, and beneath rocks.
Pouched Frog breeds during spring and autumn, where the female frog lays 1 to 50 eggs. Their tadpole take roughly 2 to 3 months to develop into froglets. One extraordinary feature about this species is that it does not require water for tadpole development, and the eggs are laid on land.
Its diet is mainly made up of moths, cockroaches, spiders, locusts, smaller frogs, and surprisingly, small mice as well.
5. Corroboree Frog
Corroboree Frog is a frog of moderate stature and a size of 28mm to 30mm. It has fine skin with bright yellow and black stripes, which makes it easy to recognize. This species is generally located in the southern part of Australia.
They can be found near shallow pools and grasslands. Corroboree Frogs breed around December, and the female generally lays 30 to 40 eggs. Their tadpole takes about 6 to 8 months for proper development into froglets.
Another unique characteristic of this species is that it produces its poison. It feeds on beetles, ants, mites, and insect larvae.
6. Great Barred Frog
Great Barred Frog is chubby in stature, and is generally 65mm to 101mm in length. It has smooth skin with a dark brown color. It is located in the eastern part of Australia, where it is dominant. You can find them in rainforests, streams, and wet sclerophyll forests.
Great Barred Frog breeds during spring and autumn after rainfall (CTNF). Tadpole development into froglets takes about 14 months which is much longer than many other Australian frog species. It feeds on snails, spiders, locusts, and other insects.
7. Spotted Grass Frog
Spotted Grass Frog is a plump frog with an adult size of about 42mm to 47mm. Its skin is coarse with a light brown color. This frog species is located in the southern and western parts of Australia. They live in woodland, coastal areas, temporary dams, and marshlands.
Spotted Grass Frog breed from August-March, and the female lays about 1,500 eggs. The tadpole takes around three months to develop into a froglet. Since it is a larger frog species, it can feed on larger prey including small lizards, spiders, water insects, and flying bugs.
8. Goldfields BullFrog
Goldfields BullFrog is plump and is about 61-63mm in size. Its skin is rough with a brownish color. It is mostly located in the western part of Australia. It inhabits hot deserts, grassland, marshes, and temperate deserts. Goldfields Bull Frog breeds immediately after summer rainfall. The tadpole develops after 40 days. Its diet consists of termites, spiders, and crickets.
9. Green Thighed Frog
Green Thighed Frog is lanky and adults are generally around 43mm to 47mm in length. It has rough skin with a chocolate brown color. It is located in the south-eastern part of Australia. They dwell in rainforests, woodland, and forests.
The Green Thighed Frog breeds from September to May and lays about 300 to 600 eggs. Their tadpole takes around 40 to 100 days for full development depending on the time of year and climate. This particular species feeds on beetles, small lizards, and spiders.
10. Western Spotted Frog
The Western Spotted Frog is fat (no offense) and is generally 77mm to 85mm long at the adult stage. Its skin is rough with a purplish color. This frog species is located in the western and southern parts of Australia. It occupies freshwater marshes, temperate shrubland, and rocky areas.
Western Spotted Frog breeds from March to April and their tadpole takes about 2 to 3 months to develop depending their environment. It feeds on spiders, worms, and bugs.
More About Frogs in Australia
We did not discuss the Cane Toads you can find all over Northern Australia but we know you may want to learn more about this invasive species and other kinds of frogs you can find in Australia on our blog:
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