The Greenest Motorbike Frogs

Author Len van der Waag ◦

January 2022
One of the greenest Motorbike Frogs (Ranoidea moorei) that I have found in our garden for some time. This one lives in between the folds of the cloth on my shade house, obviously feeding on the myriad of insects caught in those folds. This frog was 45 mm long. Found in our place near Denmark on the south coast of Western Australia.

“The motorbike frog is a ground-dwelling tree frog of the subfamily Pelodryadinae found in Southwest Australia. Its common name is derived from the male frog’s mating call, which sounds similar to a motorbike changing up through gears; it is also known as Moore’s frog, the western bell frog, western green and golden bell frog, and western green tree frog. The Noongar name for it is Kyooya.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorbike_frog

February 2024
Colour variation – adult Motorbike Frogs (Litoria moorei)
Our place near Denmark on the south coast of Western Australia.

Motorbike Frogs (Ranoidea moorei), South Coast (near Denmark) WA © Len van der Waag

“The Motorbike frog, one of the species susceptible to a pervasive fungal disease, has a distinctive eponymous call and produces a foam type nest for its eggs with tadpoles reaching lengths of up to 15 cm under certain conditions. Of special interest is its ability to devour large prey, including mice and other frogs. The Motorbike Frog has been described under several scientific names (Litoria moorei, Dryosophus moorei, Ranoidea cyclorhyncha and Ranoidea cyclorhyncha cyclorhyncha) by different researchers working in different areas, based on variations in its appearance and colouration.

However, genetic research shows these appearance differences are due to local variation.”

FROM Nats-News-July-2016-e-version-with-pics.pdf