Scientific Name: Litoria aurea.
Common Names: Green & Golden Bells Frog.
Distribution: Australia - Eastern New South Wales, and northern Victoria.
Size: 8cm (3").
Colouration: The dorsal surface takes on a golden brown, with irregular light green patches.
Requirements: Bells Frogs are mainly aquatic and require a medium sized aquarium. A 15-gallon tank would be adequate for 4 adults. These Frogs can be maintained in a semi-aquatic set-up. The best method of doing this is with a large floating island or built in glass shelf covering 1/4 of the water surface for the Frogs to climb out on to. A base substrate of gravel is ideal with large pebbles and aquatic plants arranged to provide a number of hiding places. The water should be clean de-chlorinated or spring water at a depth of 15cm (6"). The water will need to be filtered using a submersible power filter to avoid the build up of ammonia and bacteria in the water, and partial water changes should be carried out at regular intervals. It is also a good idea to lightly oxygenate the water with the use of an air-stone. A water temperature of 22-25°C should be maintained, and a fluorescent UVB tube should be used as a light source.
Feeding: Juvenile Frogs need to be fed daily with a mixture of suitably sized insects including small crickets and mini-mealworm. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement two-three times a week. Adult Frogs should be fed every two-three days with a mixture of crickets, regular mealworms, earthworms, waxworms, and curly-flies. The food items should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement once a week.
