Brown tree frog facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brown tree frog
Scientific classification

The brown tree frog is also known as the whistling tree frog, Ewing's tree frog, or southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii). It is a type of frog that comes from Australia. You can find it in southeastern Australia and Tasmania. It also lives in New Zealand.

Adult brown tree frogs are usually about 3.0 to 5.0 centimeters long. Female frogs are a bit bigger than the males. These frogs are light brown with a lighter belly. They often have special patterns on their skin. Their feet usually do not have webs between the toes. The ends of their toes have sticky pads, which are like little suckers. These help them climb easily!

Where They Live and How They Grow

Brown tree frogs can live in many different places. They like marshes, grassy areas, and even mountains.

When it's time to lay eggs, the female frog lays between 500 and 600 eggs at once! She places them on plants that are underwater in ponds, streams, dams, and ditches. It takes several months for the tiny tadpoles to grow into full-grown frogs. Unlike most frogs, the brown tree frog can lay eggs at any time of the year.

Brown Tree Frogs in New Zealand

In New Zealand, brown tree frog tadpoles are sometimes given to schoolchildren. This allows the children to watch the tadpoles change into frogs. However, this has caused a problem. When the school projects are finished, people sometimes let the young frogs go outside.

Because of this, the brown tree frog is now an invasive species in New Zealand. This means it is a species that has been brought to a new place and causes harm there. When these frogs are set free, they can hurt the native New Zealand frogs. They might eat all the food that the native frogs need. They can also spread diseases that the native frogs are not used to.

Images for kids

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  The tadpoles grow into frogs slowly.

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  A brown tree frog in eastern Victoria, Australia.

See also

In Spanish: Litoria ewingii para niños