Geocrinia laevis

{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Southern Smooth Froglet (Geocrinia laevis) (8743396751).jpg

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Murray Littlejohn, Peter Robertson, Graeme Gillespie, John Clarke, Peter Brown |date=2004 |title=Geocrinia laevis |volume=2004 |page=e.T41144A10405582 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T41144A10405582.en |access-date=16 November 2021}}

| taxon = Geocrinia laevis

| authority = Günther, 1864

| synonyms = Pterophrynus laevis (Günther, 1864)

Crinia laevis (Günther, 1864)

| synonyms_ref =

| range_map = Geocrinia laevis map-fr.svg

}}

Geocrinia laevis, the smooth frog, southern smooth froglet, smooth froglet, or Tasmanian smooth frog, is a species of frog in the family Myobatrachidae. It is endemic to Australia and found in Tasmania, southwestern Victoria (including the Grampians), and the extreme southeast of South Australia.

Description

These frogs measure about {{convert|35|mm|abbr=on}} in snout–vent length. They are grey or brown above, with scattered, small reddish spots with black edges, sometimes also with irregular, darker markings. The underside is white or light grey and has darker brown or grey flecks or mottling. Males have a bright yellow throat. The skin is smooth or with scattered low warts above, and smooth below.

Habitat and conservation

Geocrinia laevis live in dry sclerophyll and pine forests at low altitudes. They often occur in damp locations and areas flooded after rain. The larvae develop in egg capsules until the breeding site is flooded, after which they hatch and continue development as aquatic tadpoles. The tadpole phase takes about six months.

This species is threatened by habitat clearing for agriculture and grazing, as well as logging in Tasmania. However, the overall population is considered stable, and the species occurs in several protected areas.

References

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite book|author=Harold Cogger|title=Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q6XfAgAAQBAJ|date=3 March 2014|publisher=Csiro Publishing|isbn=978-0-643-10977-3|pages=88–89}}

{{cite web |url=http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Myobatrachidae/Geocrinia/Geocrinia-laevis |title=Geocrinia laevis (Günther, 1864) |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2016 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=American Museum of Natural History |accessdate=2 January 2017}}

}}