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Volume 84, 1956-57
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– 874 –

Colour

The colour pattern in Leiopelma appears to be constant for each individual frog. Each vivarium specimen could be clearly recognised from the others by its colouration, while during two years in captivity no frog changed perceptibly in colour.

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Fig. 1.—The southern peak of Mt Mochau In the foreground is a flat boggy area above the bush-line on the south-eastern face. The actual summit peak is to the right of the photograph.
Fig. 2.—The sphagnum bog area, looking eastward Many frogs are found under the boulders and stumps.

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Fig. 1—Looking from the summit eastward down the slope towards Stony Bay
Fig. 2.—Further down the same slope Adults and eggs of L. archeyi are found under the many fallen logs and stumps

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Fig. 1.—A. patch of bush on the eastern face of the Tokatea Ridge, north of the saddle L. archeyi and L. hochstetten were first discovered together here in 1944
Fig. 2.—The interior of the same bush The frogs are found beneath stones on the forest floor The tough stems of supplejack are conspicuous.

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Fig 1.—L. hochstetten, × 3 (Neg Mr. W. Brackenbury).
Fig. 2.—An egg cluster of L. archeyi, photographed in the field The covering stump has been pulled away and the eggs lie exposed on a bed of earth and rotting wood in the centre of the photograph
Fig. 3.—Eggs of L. archeyi. laid in the laboratory after an injection of anterior pituitary from Rana × 7 (Neg the late Mr. F. J. Pittock FRPS)

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The process of sloughing, which in some frogs is so marked that the skin can be seen flaking off in large patches, has not been observed by the authors in Lelopelma and presumably is an inconspicuous process.

The dorsal colour patterns of a large number of specimens of L. archeyi have been observed in the field, both on the Tokatea Ridge and Mt. Moehau. The animals can be placed in a graded series ranging from brown frogs with little or no trace of green, through specimens which have green and brown intermingled, to predominantly green frogs in which brown is scarcely visible or even absent. The shades of brown range from a deep chocolate to brownish-yellow or biscuit, while the greens vary from emerald to an almost bluish-green.

It has been found, however, that it is possible to fit the various types of colour pattern to the following key:—

  • a = predominantly green.

  • b = predominantly light brown.

  • c = predominantly dark brown.

  • ab = green and light brown, green predominating.

  • ba = light brown and green, light brown predominating.

  • ac = green and dark brown, green predominating.

  • ca = dark brown and green, dark brown predominating.

Turbott's holotype (1942, 249) would fit the description ba above. In addition to the colours described above, each frog has a dorsal pattern of black markings and a ventral body colour resembling Turbott's description.

L. hochstetteri (Plate 59, Fig. 1) is predominantly brown in dorsal body colour, but here again the exact shade may vary. It is usually darker than that of L. archeyi, being typically a blackish-brown, but occasional specimens show decided olive-green or biscuit tints. The black bands are inconspicuous in dark specimens of L. hochstetteri.

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