Western Banjo Frog Aussie Oc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Western Banjo Frog

Did You Know?

First described in 1841
Endemic to an area surrounded by arid regions, where it became isolated by climate changes in the interior

The motorbike frog is a ground-dwelling tree frog found in Southwest Australia. It gets its name from the male frog's mating call, which sounds like a motorbike riding past and changing gears. Other common names are Moore's frog, the western bell frog, western green and golden bell frog, and western green tree frog.

Back varies from pale brown to dark chocolate with areas of deep green or olive, red colouration in the groin and hind limbs.

Tadpoles

Large, black with deep tail fins.

Distinctive feature

Large protruding oval gland on the upper surface of the calf.

Size

Males 2.8 - 6.4 cm, females 5.4 - 7.3 cm.

Behaviour

Call

A deep and explosive “bonk”.

Listen to the Western Banjo Frog call © Dale Roberts

Diet

Mostly insects and worms.

Movement

Burrowing species that submerges itself during dry conditions.

Breeding

Spawn laid in winter and spring in a large foam nest on the surface of still or slowly moving water.

Field Guide

Improve your identification skills. Download your Western Banjo Frog field guide here!

Downloads

Western Banjo Frog Field Guide

What to Observe

Calling
Courting/Mating
The appearance of foamy egg masses

When and Where

When To Look

June to November (winter to spring)

Where To Look

Southwest and adjacent arid zone in Western Australia
Lower Murchison River south and east to Wattle Camp and inland to Falena, Moorine Rock, Lake Cronin, Peak Charles and Coragina Rock
Found in a variety of habitats including forests, swamps, grasslands, and the wheatbelt
Look and listen in vegetation near permanent water in winter

What Else?

This frog can be distinguished from all other species of Limnodynastes by its distribution, being found only in south-western Australia.

The Eastern Banjo or Pobblebonk Frog (Limnodynastes dumerilli) can be found in the eastern states.

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