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Green-Eyed Tree Frog

Common Name: Green-Eyed Tree Frog Scientific Name: Litoria genimaculata Size relative to a teacup: IUCN Red List Status:? Least concern

Least Concern Extinct

Current Population Trend: Decreasing

The green-eyed tree frog has adapted its appearance to blend in with the moss-covered rain forests of Queensland, Australia.

Coloring

The frogs' coloration and markings vary with their specific habitat, but they usually have a brownish-green body with rust-colored blotches that match the lichen-covered rocks lining the creeks and streams they tend to live near.

This species gets its name not for green eyes per se, but rather for a line of brilliant green that often adorns the brow of each eye. They are also distinguishable by a row of skin flaps along their arms and legs, which resembles a serrated knife.

Size

Females, which are significantly larger than males, grow to about 2.8 inches. Males, which emit a mating call that sounds like a quiet tap-tap-tap, max out at about 1.8 inches.

Population

Green-eyed tree frogs are abundant in the rugged wet tropics of northeast Queensland, near the Great Barrier Reef. Their population is healthy in the region's lower elevations, but, for unknown reasons, may have disappeared completely from the higher-altitude areas. They have suffered serious declines in the past, possibly due to a fungus or virus, but their numbers have rebounded, and they are not currently threatened or endangered.

Aussies Stumped After Green Tree Frog 'turns Water Purple'

A man's encounter with a green tree frog that he said turned the water in his dog's bowl a bright purple colour has Aussies puzzled.

The Queenslander, who lives northwest of the Gold Coast, said he has "several green tree frogs as regular visitors" to his verandah, and they "usually hang around for a while" and take a "quick dip in the water bowl" before heading off into the garden for the night.

A Queensland man was stumped when a green tree frog turned the water in his dog's bowl a vivid purple. Source: Facebook

However, last week he noticed that one of the regular guests had somehow turned the fresh water a "bright purple". Stumped by the vivid colour, he posted an image of the green tree frog sitting in the water to a Facebook page dedicated to Aussie frogs and toads with the hope of discovering the cause of the "beautiful" sight.

Aussies stumped by frog's purple water

Social media users appeared to be just as confused as to how the frog was able to change the colour of the water, with many joking that's "what he gets for peeing in the pool". "What the hell?" one person commented, while another wondered if it was "some sort of wizard's spell".

One frog enthusiast theorised that the animal may have come into contact with Condy's Crystals — otherwise known as potassium permanganate — a purplish-black crystalline oxidising agent with disinfectant that can be used to treat skin conditions, clean algae from ponds, and purify water.

The man said many green tree frogs visit his verandah but he had never seen one change the water's colour before. Source: Getty

"Maybe frog got dry crystals on it and they dissolved in the water dish?" one man questioned. "My first thought was Condy's Crystals, too," a woman agreed. "It truly looks like potassium permanganate." Others wondered if the frog had eaten a mulberry or purple bugs that then changed the water through its faeces.

Frog not to blame for purple water, says expert

Perhaps much to the disappointment of the frog enthusiasts, amphibian and reptile expert Dr Jodi Rowley from the Australian Museum told Yahoo News Australia the purple water is "completely unrelated to the frog".

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"It's definitely not the frog itself, that's not something that happens," she explained. "Something else like a bird, or somehow they put in Epsom salts that made the water turn purple, most likely. There's a small chance the frog ate something that had something [purple] in it but I doubt it."

Dr Rowley said the "most likely explanation is that the frog doesn't realise the water is purple and got in for a usual drink", noting frogs drink through their skin. "Hopefully the frog is ok and the water isn't toxic," she added.

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Frog Mistaken For 'scratched Garden Ornament' Baffles Experts

A gardener had to do a double take in his nursery this week when he spotted something new beside his plants, initially confused by the old "scratched garden ornament". But on closer inspection, he realised it was in fact a live frog with multiple scratches running along its body.

The resident of Toormina, just south of Coffs Harbour in NSW, was baffled to see the amphibian rest peacefully on the ledge despite its obvious injuries, unsure how the green tree frog had succumbed to such scars, and he wasn't the only one confused by the frog's state.

The frog was initially mistaken for an old garden ornament by the resident. Source: Facebook

Frog experts struggle to pinpoint how the frog was harmed

Frog skin is sensitive and easily pierced, so the suggestion that it had been a victim of a predator attack was deemed unlikely given the scratches on the frog in question appear "superficial".

"It's really hard to say, they look like scratches but honestly it could be anything and they are not deep," Biologist Jodi Rowley from the Australian Museum told Yahoo News Australia.

The frog appeared to be calm and in no distress, according to the gardener who found him. Source: Facebook

The resident told Yahoo he thought the scratches may have been caused by a "chicken wire fence" which he has since removed, with Rowley saying it is definitely a "plausible" cause. However, Professor Conrad Hoskin from James Cook University said he wouldn't rule out a cat inflicting the scratches on the frog, who may have simply had a lucky escape.

Frogs are struggling to survive in Australia

Although the green tree frog has been able to thrive in human environments alongside a handful of other species, the majority have suffered a significant decline for several decades now. Fifteen are currently registered as endangered and four have become extinct, with a study conducted by Rowley finding one in five Australian species are currently threatened with extinction.

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Back in 2004, 39.4 per cent of all amphibian species were believed to be threatened with extinction — meaning they were either categorised as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable — however, now it sits at 40.7 per cent, according to the Australian Museum.

Factors contributing to frog decline include climate change which has affected air and water quality, and the chytrid fungus disease which has impacted amphibians worldwide.

The growing number of pets in Australia are also threatening the 240 species currently found in the country, with research showing 323 million native animals are killed every year at the 'paws' of cats alone.

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