Litoria naispela explained

Litoria naispela, also known as the Crater Mountain treehole frog, is a species of frog in the subfamily Pelodryadinae. It was described in 2023 by Australian herpetologist Stephen Richards and his colleagues Stephen Donnellan and Paul Oliver. The specific epithet naispela is a Tok Pisin term meaning ‘beautiful’ or ‘attractive’.[1]

Distribution and habitat

The species is endemic to New Guinea. It is found in the Crater Mountain wildlife management area of Papua New Guinea.[1]

Behaviour

When breeding, the frogs glue their eggs to the trunks of trees above water-filled tree hollows, with the tadpoles being washed into the hollows after hatching. When the immature froglets first emerge from the tree hollows, their appearance resembles that of bird droppings, a factor hypothesised to protect them from bird predation, before they acquire the green and white markings of adult frogs.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Bird poo' frog among five new species classified in Papua New Guinea. Nick Kilvert . 2023-04-14. ABC Science. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 2023-04-30.