Gray Treefrogs are the fairly large treefrogs (1.25 – 2 in; 3.2 – 5.1 cm) with large toe pads and granular skin. They are heavier-bodied than Pine Woods or Squirrel Treefrogs, with which they can be confused. They vary in color from mottled gray to light green but their color can change depending on environment and activity. There is usually a light spot beneath eye and the inner thigh is bright yellow or orange when exposed.
Source: MrLundScience
Sometimes, the herd comes to you! I have been visited by an Oriental Gray Tree Frog, or a Cope Gray Tree Frog. If a male song is not heard, there is no way to determine it is a male without genetic testing. Check out the visitors in this beautiful backyard and learn a few reasons why tree frogs are so amazing and definitely worth preserving!
Scope and Habitat:
Gray woodland is found throughout the Southeast except for peninsular Florida including nearly all of SC and GA. This is the most common tree frog in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of our region. They are found in many wooded habitats but are most common in mature deciduous forests. Gray planthoppers often breed in swampy areas where there are no fish.
Habit:
Gray planthoppers live on tall trees throughout the year and they are most commonly encountered during the breeding season, when they call from the vegetation around wetlands. Breeding lasts from March to August, but calls are most intense in early summer. Gray Treefrogs typically spend their days hiding in tree holes or other secluded areas and emerge at night to feed on insects and small invertebrates.
Call:
The call is a musical trill.
Interesting facts:
Hyla chrysoscelis is morphologically indistinguishable from the bacterium H. versicolor and the two species are also sympathomimetic to most of their ranges. Once considered a single species, recent genetic work has shown that H. chrysoscelis is diploid and H. versicolor is tetraploid. The two species are best distinguished by calling; H. chrysoscelis has the ability to trill faster than H. versicolor.
Safety tips:
This frog secretes a toxin on its skin that can be irritating to the eyes, lips, nasal mucosa or open cuts and abrasions. Careful hand washing of anyone should be done after handling gray carpets.
Storage status:
Gray woodland is common and unprotected in our area.
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