Magnificent Tree Frog

The magnificent tree frog is a large Australian tree frog with a limited range on the north-western coast, in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley of Western Australia. Males reach a snout-to-vent length of 10.4 cm and females 10.6 cm. It is olive to bright green above and white below, with bright yellow undersides to the feet and legs, and most individuals have white or sulphur-coloured dots on the back. Very large parotoid glands cover the top of the head and droop over the eardrums, which helps separate older adults from the similar White's tree frog. It is nocturnal, sheltering in caves and rock crevices by day.

About the magnificent tree frog

The magnificent tree frog (Pelodryas splendida), also called the splendid tree frog, is a large Australian tree frog found only in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and the Northern Territory. It is a close relative of the White's tree frog and looks much like it, but older adults have huge glands covering the head.

The species was first described in 1977. It has also been classified as Litoria splendida. It belongs to the family Pelodryadidae, a family of tree frogs found only in Australia and New Guinea.

It is a relatively big tree frog. Males reach a snout-to-vent length of 10.4 cm (4.1 in) and females slightly more, at 10.6 cm (4.2 in). The back is olive to bright green, and the belly is white. The undersides of the feet and legs are bright yellow. Most frogs have white or sulfur-yellow dots scattered across the back, some thickly and some sparsely, along with yellow markings on the hands, groin and thighs.

The most striking feature appears with age. Older magnificent tree frogs develop very large parotoid glands, a type of skin gland. In this species they spread across the entire top of the head and droop down over the eardrums. The eardrum, or tympanum, is itself large, nearly as big as the eye, and is partly hidden by the overhanging gland. That swollen, helmet-like head is how older adults can be told from their lookalike relative.

In July 2024, the first photograph of a blue magnificent tree frog was published. The frog was found by chance in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary and collected for study. Its color comes from axanthism, a mutation that affects yellow pigment. With the yellow gone, only blue is left, turning a green frog blue.

Behavior and diet

The magnificent tree frog is nocturnal. It hunts and breeds at night, and during the day it shelters in caves and rock crevices.

Like the other large tree frogs of Australia, the White's tree frog and the giant tree frog, it is comfortable around people. It turns up around buildings and has been found in toilets, showers and water tanks.

Its close relative the White's tree frog eats mainly insects such as moths, cockroaches and locusts, along with spiders and sometimes smaller frogs. Frog teeth are not suited to cutting up prey, so food must be small enough to fit in the mouth. The White's tree frog catches smaller items with its sticky tongue, while larger ones are pounced on and pushed into the mouth with the hands.

Breeding probably takes place during the wet season, but the magnificent tree frog's breeding habits have not been studied in much detail. The male's call is very similar to the White's tree frog's: a deep "crawk-crawk-crawk" repeated many times.

Range and habitat

The magnificent tree frog has a limited range. It lives only along the northwestern coast of Australia, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and in the Northern Territory. Its lookalike, the White's tree frog, also occurs in the Kimberley but ranges far beyond it, across northern and eastern Australia and into New Guinea.

Within that range it uses caves and rock crevices as daytime shelters. It also lives close to people, around houses and other buildings, including in tanks, showers and toilets. The blue individual photographed in 2024 was found in the Charnley River–Artesian Range Wildlife Sanctuary.

Magnificent tree frog vs White's tree frog

The magnificent tree frog is easily mistaken for the White's tree frog, also called the Australian green tree frog. The two are close relatives and similar in size, color and call. The White's tree frog has a much wider range, across northern and eastern Australia and lowland New Guinea, and is one of the most popular pet frogs in the world.

The two frogs also share their scientific history. The White's tree frog was the first Australian frog ever scientifically described, in 1790, while the magnificent tree frog was not described until 1977.

Conservation status

The magnificent tree frog is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Its range is limited to the northwestern coast of Australia.

It is kept as a pet. In Australia, people may keep the species in captivity only with the appropriate permit. Its relative the White's tree frog is a common species, and its skin secretions have antibacterial and antiviral properties that are thought to have helped protect it from the declines affecting many amphibians.