Notes on a naturalised population of the Eastern dwarf tree frog 'Litoria fallax' (Peters) (Anura: Hylidae) in North-east Victoria

The Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog 'Litoria fallax' (Peters) (Anura: Hylidae) is a small (25 mm snout-vent length) frog native to coastal and adjacent areas from central-eastern Queensland to southern NSW (Tyler and Knight 2011). It inhabits vegetation, particularly reeds and floating plants, in and beside small creeks, dams, lagoons and swamps (Cogger 2014). Its preference for sheltering in the leaf-axils of pandanus, banana and pineapple plants, often well away from water (Cogger 2014) and within urbanised environments (Hodgkison et al. 2007), means this species is frequently transported, along with horticultural products and fresh fruit, to cities and towns outside its known natural range (Gillespie and Clemann 2000). For example, 'L. fallax' has been transported to Guam in the tropical western Pacific Ocean where it has established a breeding population (Christy et al. 2007). In Australia, it was recorded in 1999 outside its natural range from a sand quarry in Moorabbin, Melbourne (Gillespie and Clemann 2000). It has since been recorded in other Melbourne suburbs including Manningham East, Heidelberg, Kew and Melton, where, in some areas, it has established breeding populations (ALA 2015). Its persistence in Melbourne is believed to be facilitated by the 'heat island' effect, where minimum winter temperatures are higher than those of surrounding rural areas (Hamer and McDonnell 2010), thus providing a suitable breeding environment.