I’ve always had a soft spot for Australia’s tree frogs, and Litoria chloris is easily one of the most striking. When I first started planning this painting, I knew I wanted to capture the intense colors that make this species so recognizable—especially those glowing red eyes.
🎨 The painting process:
Frogs are so full of character, and I wanted to capture that curious, slightly mischievous expression in this piece. Painting Litoria chloris was a perfect reminder of why I keep coming back to frogs as subjects—they’re just endlessly fascinating!
🐸 1. Those red eyes? They’re a defense mechanism!
When startled, Litoria chloris flashes its bright red eyes, hoping to shock a predator for just long enough to escape. This is called startle coloration—nature’s version of a jump scare!
🌧 2. They love rainforests
These frogs are found in the wet forests of eastern Australia, from mid-northern Queensland down to New South Wales. They prefer humid environments with lots of trees and water sources.
🦘 3. They can Jump over 2 meters!
Despite being tiny, these frogs are incredible jumpers. With their long, powerful legs and sticky toe pads, they can leap huge distances between trees.
🎭 4. They change colour!
Like many tree frogs, Litoria chloris can shift between bright green and brown depending on temperature, mood, and surroundings—talk about a built-in camouflage feature!
🎵 5. Males have a loud, rasping call
During the breeding season, male Litoria chloris belt out raspy calls at night to attract mates. If you’ve ever been near a rainforest after a heavy rain, you’ve probably heard their chorus!
Being a vet and an artist, I can’t help but nerd out about how fascinating frogs are from a biological perspective. Here are some wild veterinary facts about Litoria chloris!
🫁 1. Frogs breathe through their skin
Yep, in addition to having lungs, frogs can absorb oxygen straight through their skin—which is why they always look a bit moist and shiny. This is called cutaneous respiration, and it’s one reason why they’re so sensitive to environmental changes.
💧 2. Their skin is self-cleaning
Like many amphibians, Litoria chloris secretes antimicrobial compounds from its skin, helping to protect it from bacteria and fungal infections. It’s basically a built-in defense system!
🍽 3. They shed their skin (and eat it!)
Every few days, tree frogs shed their outer skin layer to keep it fresh. Instead of letting it go to waste, they just eat it—a handy little recycling trick!
🦵 4. Their legs are built for strength
Tree frogs have long, muscular legs that allow them to leap multiple times their body length—perfect for escaping predators in a flash.
🔬 5. They absorb medications (and toxins) through their skin
Because their skin is highly permeable, frogs can absorb chemicals directly from their environment. This makes them extremely sensitive to pollutants, pesticides, and even handling by humans. If you ever need to treat a sick frog, medication doses have to be extremely precise to avoid toxicity.
Frogs just have so much personality—from their vivid colors to their expressive little faces, they’re endlessly fun to paint. I love the challenge of capturing their soft, shiny textures and playful energy. Plus, as a vet, I love bringing attention to wildlife that people might not always think about.
Tree frogs like Litoria chloris play a huge role in their ecosystems, and I hope that through my paintings, more people will appreciate just how fascinating and beautiful these creatures are.
As both an artist and a veterinarian, I take great care to correctly identify the species I paint. Every frog, fish, or mammal I choose as a subject has unique features that make it distinct, and I want to ensure those defining traits are captured accurately.
As both an artist and a vet, I take species identification seriously. Before painting, I spend a lot of time researching different reference images to ensure I’m capturing the correct features of each species.
Whenever I’m painting frogs, I have my ‘complete guide to australian frogs’ book open on my desk. If you love frogs and are interested in australian species, I would highly recommend it!
For Litoria chloris, the bright green skin, red-orange eyes, and deep purple thighs were key defining traits that I focused on in this painting. Getting these details right not only makes the piece scientifically accurate, but it also helps showcase the beauty of each species in the most authentic way.
🐸 Australia is home to some of the most unique frogs in the world, but many of them are facing serious threats due to habitat destruction, pollution, and disease.
🌱 Frogs are crucial to ecosystems because they control insect populations and serve as food for larger predators.
🦠 Many Australian frogs are being wiped out by chytrid fungus, a deadly fungal disease that affects amphibians worldwide. Conservation efforts are essential to help protect these incredible species.
🏡 You can create a frog-friendly garden by providing shallow water sources, native plants, and avoiding pesticides—it’s a simple way to help keep frog populations thriving!
I’m always painting more frogs, more wildlife, and more nature-inspired pieces. If you love handmade, one-of-a-kind art, check out my latest watercolour paintings in my shop! You can purchase a print of my litoria chloris painting here. If you’re up for some more frog facts, check out my article on painting litoria infrafrenata.
Want to see what I’ll paint next? Follow me on social media and send me your animal painting suggestions! 😊🎨✨
☼ AmphibiaWeb. (n.d.). Litoria chloris. Retrieved from https://amphibiaweb.org/species/1230
☼ Australian Geographic. (2019). Fact File: Red-eyed tree frog (Litoria chloris). Retrieved from https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/fact-file/fact-file-red-eyed-tree-frog-litoria-chloris
☼ Australian Museum. (n.d.). Litoria chloris. Retrieved from https://www.frogid.net.au/frogs/litoria-chloris
☼ Amphibian Ark. (n.d.). Red-eyed Tree Frog (Litoria chloris). Retrieved from https://www.rares.world/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Amphibia-Hylidae-Litoria-chloris-Red-eyed-Tree-Frog-2012DF.pdf
☼ Wikipedia contributors. (2022). Ranoidea chloris. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranoidea_chloris
☼ Who is Litoria chloris?
☼ What are some wild facts about the Red-Eyed Green Tree Frog?
☼ What are some cool veterinary insights about frogs?
☼ Why do I love painting frogs so much?
know someone who might enjoy this article?
♡ share the artsy love right here ♡
a space for artists & art collectors ♡
hi, i’m sarah, an australian artist head-over-heels for watercolour & creative practice- it truely is good for your soul.
& this ↑, is my girl alys.
i am completely self-taught in all the mediums i use & i am here to share everything i know with you!
i write about all things creativity, watercolour, gouache, hand-made ceramics, collecting art, & my own artistic process. I have degrees in human psychology & veterinary medicine- so you might find some sporadic related facts in my writing.
sign up for artsy news, exclusive discounts & member-only offers ♡
disc.- the above article may contain affiliate links. that means that at no extra cost to you, I may receive a small commission from the purchases made through these links. I only recommend products I have bought myself, use, and love!
get 30% off your next print order!
no spam, i promise- just exclusive discounts, member-only commission openings & some other artsy bits.
