Rattling Froglet

As with many other small (< 3 cm) Crinia species across Australia, rattling froglets show considerable variation in dorsal and ventral colouration and patterns. Colouration on dorsal surfaces can be sandy gold, light grey to fawn, brown, bright russet, dark grey, dark brown, or almost black, with patterns that vary from uniform colouration to blotched, marbled and striped. Skin can vary from smooth to rough, with or without raised longitudinal folds. Ventral patterns are dimorphic between the sexes. Males typically have varying levels of black on the chin, throat, belly, and legs, although they can also be very plain or have white and black blotching on the belly. Females typically have a white chin, throat and belly, with varying degrees of black blotching. Both sexes can have a mid-ventral stripe or cross.

It is not always possible to separate rattling froglets, squelching froglets (C. insignifera), South Coast froglets (C. subinsignifera), and bleating froglets (C. pseudinsignifera) from one another, particularly if just a photo of the dorsal surface is available. The ventral surface patterns may help guide identification, however as these are also highly variable care must be taken. The geographic distribution of the species may also help to identify an individual, however there is overlap between various species in many locations, making mis-identification easy.

Rattling froglets are found in southwestern Australia, along the coast and adjacent areas. The species is patchily distributed from the Moore River area, north of Perth, to the Albany region and Stirling Ranges in the south-east. Rattling froglets occupy coastal plains, inland ranges, and riverine areas, often occurring near natural swamps, creeks and pools in forests, but also pastureland, plantations, rural gardens, water storage areas, ponds, open excavations, and sewage treatment areas.

Like other Crinia species, rattling froglets probably feed on a variety of small insects and arachnids, including mosquitoes, caterpillars, flies, and small spiders. Rattling froglets typically breed in creeks, swamps or pools, including flooded or seasonally inundated grasslands or shrubby areas beside streams, gutters and seeps. They are usually present in areas that remain wet throughout most of the year. Frogs in amplexus are frequently observed on top of floating vegetation (e.g. duckweed) in shallow (< 50 cm) water. Eggs are laid singly, usually attached in small groups or rows along stems of submerged vegetation or leaves, or on the substrate in shallow water. Tadpoles take about four months to develop into frogs, and feed mostly on sediments and algae.