About Litoria quiritatus Rowley, Mahony, Hines, Myers, Price, Shea & Donnellan, 2021
Scientific Classification
The screaming tree frog, scientifically named Litoria quiritatus, is a frog species that belongs to the subfamily Pelodryadinae.
Endemic Range
This species is endemic to southeastern Australia, occurring east of the Great Dividing Range.
Distribution Extent
Its distribution extends from Mallacoota in northeastern Victoria north to Taree on the mid-coast of New South Wales.
Common Name and Call
It is the "bleating tree frog" found around Sydney, and is widely recognized for its extremely loud call.
Historical Taxonomic Confusion
Litoria quiritatus was long confused with the robust bleating tree frog, Litoria dentata.
Formal Description Timeline
Because of this confusion, it was only formally described in 2021, even though it is a relatively common species found near major population centers.
2021 Taxonomic Split
In their 2021 publication, Rowley et al. split what was previously considered a single species, Litoria dentata, into three distinct clades based on genetic divergence, small morphological differences, and clear differences in vocalizations.
Citizen Science Data Source
Vocalization data for this work was collected through the FrogID Australia citizen science project.
Newly Named Clades
The three clades were named as the robust bleating tree frog (L. dentata sensu stricto), the slender bleating tree frog (L. balatus), and the screaming tree frog (L. quiritatus).
Call Duration Comparison
Compared to the other two species, the screaming tree frog produces the longest call.
Morphological Traits
It does not have a white line running along its side, and breeding-season males turn yellow.
Male Vocal Sac Coloration
The vocal sac of male screaming tree frogs is permanently yellow, while only the vocal sac is yellow outside of breeding season.
Geographical Range Comparison
All three species have separate geographical ranges, and the screaming tree frog has the southernmost range of the three.
