Australian green tree frog

The **Australian green tree frog** (**green tree frog** in Australia, '''White's tree frog**, or **dumpy tree frog'*),  *Litoria caerulea*, is a species of tree frogs. They live in Australia and New Guinea. 

The green tree frog was  onto ships to the United States and New Zealand. The species belongs to the genus *Litoria*. The species magnificent tree frog (*Litoria splendida*) and the giant tree frog (*Litoria infrafrenata'') are  to the green tree frog. The green tree frog is the largest frog in Australia. It can reach to 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length. 

The average lifespan is about sixteen years, if kept captive. Green tree frogs are easy to take care of. They are okay with living near human buildings. They are often found on windows or inside houses. The green tree frog screams when it is in danger. It does this to scare off animals that have  them. The green tree frog squeaks when it is touched. The green tree frog is known as the most  frog in Australia. This is because of how the frog looks like and because of its behavior in its habitat. It is also a popular exotic pet throughout the world. The frog's skin has antibacterial and antiviral protections. Their skin may be useful for medication in  patients in the future.

## Taxonomy 
The green tree frog is one of many tree frog species of the genus *Litoria*. They are  in Australasia. The common name of the species is "White's tree frog". The species were named after John White. He first described the species in 1790. The green tree frog was the first frog to be classified in Australia. The specimen of the green tree frog was collected by Sir Joseph Banks. It was destroyed during the German bombing of the Hunterian Museum during World War II. The museum was located at the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

The green tree frog was first called the "blue frog" (*Rana caerulea*). The original specimens White sent to England were damaged by the  and looked blue. The color of the frog is caused by blue and green pigments covered in a yellow layer. The preservative destroyed the yellow layer. It left the frog looking blue. The word *caeruela*, which means blue in Latin, is part of the green tree frog's scientific name. The frog is also more known as the "green tree frog". However, that name is often given to the larger green tree frog (*Hyla cinerea*) in its region.

## Description 
The green tree frog can reach 10&nbsp;centimeters (4&nbsp;inches) in length. The frog's color depends on the temperature and the color of its environment. The green tree frog can be brown or green. The frog's mouth is white. The giant tree frog (*Litoria infrafrenata*) is also sometimes confused with the green tree frog. The giant tree frog has white stripes. These stripes are on the edge of the frog's lower jaw. The green tree frog does not have these stripes. 

The green tree frog has lungs. They absorb oxygen through their skin. For this to happen, their skin has to be moist. However, their skin can get infected by pathogens. Pathogens will live on the frog's skin. This makes them sick. The frog will then grow peptides. These will destroy the pathogens. The skin of the Green Tree Frog has caerins. Caerins is a group of peptides with antibacterial and antivirial protection. It also has caerulins. The caerulins have physiological effects. The CCK-8 is a digestive hormone and hunger suppressant. Several peptides from the skin of the green tree frog have been found to destroy HIV without harming healthy T-cells.

 (*left*), has the white stripes along the jaw. The  green tree frog (*center*). The magnificent tree frog (*right*), has the large parotoid glands, which is above the tympanum]]

## Distribution 
The green tree frog is native to northern and eastern parts of Australia. They are also native to southern New Guinea. In New Guinea, the green tree frog lives in the drier area of the country. The frog can be found from Irian Jaya to Port Moresby. It also can be found on Daru Island. There has been records of the frog found in northern New Guinea. However, it is thought that they were introduced there by humans. The International Conservation Union (IUCN) believes the frog is in "scattered locations" in both New Guinea and Indonesia. In New Zealand, there were large populations of the green tree frog. However, there have been no sightings since the 1950s.

## Ecology, behavior and life history 
 after eating the spider. The frog lived.]]
Green Tree Frogs are easy to take care of.

## As a pet 
The green tree frog is one of the most popular pet frogs in the world. This is because of its submissive behavior and long life expectancy. It is also a popular pet frog because it looks like a cartoon frog. It is also one of the easiest frogs to take care of. Their diet are not . They also have a strong  to diseases. Overfeeding the frog is a common problem with pet owners. The green tree frog tends to become obese when it is overfed. In the wild, the frog's energy is needed for the frog to catch its prey. However, in captivity, they are given live food. They are also housed in comfortable habitats. This makes the frog lazy because it does not have to do any activities. When the frog is inactive, it will gain weight. An overweight green tree frog will have fat layers on top of the head and body. This gives it a "dumpy" look. This is why some pet owners call the green tree frog the "dumpy tree frog".  The IUCN lists the frog as "least concern". It is listed as "least concern" because the green tree frog can be found in many places. The Green Tree Frog's population is not .

Some of the green tree frog's natural habitats have been destroyed. Some Green Tree Frogs have been found to be infected with chytrid fungus. This causes chytridiomycosis. The population of the green tree frog in Australia is declining. However, because of the long life expectancy of this species, it will take longer for the frog to be an endangered species.

## References 
## Books 

* 

## Other websites 
* Rainforest Australia - *Litoria caerulea* 
* Introduction to Keeping White's tree frogs as pets 
* White's tree frog feeding and care 
* White's treefrogs & Other Frogs Photo Gallery 
* Frogs Australia Network - Australian Frog Database - Litoria caerulea - Australian green tree frog  - Australian green tree frog call