Amphibians

Green and Golden Bell Frog – Litoria aurea

Endangered in NSW and listed as vulnerable Nationally

Aboriginal people traditionally used the Green and Golden Bell frog as food items. It is a giant frog (4.5 - 10cm) with a light-coloured stripe running along either side of the body, with a narrow dark brown strip beneath it on the face. The body is usually a vivid green, spotted with metallic gold/brass. The inner thighs are more blueish in colour. 

The Green and Golden Bell Frog is only found on the east coast of Australia. It was once widely distributed in coastal areas from Northern NSW south to east Gippsland in Victoria. There are now around 50 small and fragmented populations recorded in NSW, with the larger populations in NSW found around metropolitan Sydney and areas of Shoalhaven and mid north coast. 

Habitat includes stream-sides, marshes, and dams. Crickets are a favoured food item of the frogs. Some of the main threats to this species are stormwater run-off and altered drainage patterns, predation by pest species such as foxes and the Plague Minnow (exotic fish species), run-off from herbicides and other chemicals, heavy-metal pollution, habitat loss and degradation (including four-wheel drives), and changes to salinity from sea-level rise. 

How can you help?

• Avoid using garden sprays containing fertilisers and poisons near any waterbodies
• If you have a pond, keep pets away and hang streamers above to deter predatory birds
• Never introduce exotic fish like Goldfish, Carp, or Plague Minnow into water bodies
• Never touch or handle frogs, as this can spread harmful diseases.