MISSING FROGS OF THE WET TROPICS
Mountain Mist Frog (Litoria nyakalensis)
LAST SEEN:
November, 1990;
Carbine Tableland.
HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION:
Ingham (Herbert River) to
Cooktown.
HABITAT:
Fast flowing streams in rainforest and wet
sclerophyll forest
between altitudes 380 to 1020 metres. Usually found perched on rocks or
on low overhanging vegetation in or adjacent to creeks.
DESCRIPTION:
Adult body length up to 40 mm. Dorsal surface
smooth
with scattered low, conical tubercles; brownish olive or greyish brown,
sometimes with irregular dark olive markings. Dorso-lateral skin fold
absent. Ventral surface granular; body and thighs cream; reddish pink
on forelimbs, hindlimbs and pectoral region, often dotted or flecked with
brown. Fingers webbed slightly, reaching base of penultimate phalanx of
fourth finger. Toes fully webbed. Finger and toe discs large and
conspicuous. Large oval inner metatarsal tubercle, outer minute or
absent. Males with large nuptial of coarse black keratinous spinules.
Tympanum indistinct.
CALL:
A soft slow, popping growl repeated slowly. Calls from
October to March.
BREEDING AND LARVAE:
Eggs Tadpoles light brown. Cream patch
between
eyes and nares, becoming less distinct in later stages. Tail musculature
cream with discrete blotches of dark pigment and diffuse light brown pigment
extending onto anterior portion of fins. Fins clear with discrete
blotches of dark pigment. Oral disc large, suctorial, completely
surrounded by marginal papillae. Marginal papillae on anterior margin
larger than lateral and posterior margin. Submarginal papillae present.
Labial Tooth Row Formula 2/2. Eyes dorsolateral. Spiracle sinistral.
Vent tube medial. Total length of tadpole up to 44.9 mm at stage 38.
Found in fast flowing rainforest streams clinging to rocks in riffles and
torrents.
REFERENCES:
Description: Liem, 1974. Call: Liem, 1974;
McDonald, 1992.
Larvae: Liem, 1974, Richards, 1992. Miscellaneous: Dennis and Trenerry,
1984; Cogger, 1988; McDonald, 1991, 1992; Richards, 1992; Covacevich and
McDonald, 1993; Richards et al, 1993.
Literature cited.
Prepared by: J-M. Hero, Updated August 1, 1994.
Dept. Zoology, James Cook University, QLD 4811.
zljmh@jcu.edu.au
