Grey Tree Frog– The grey treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor) is a small to medium-sized arboreal frog found throughout much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The grey tree frog has a distinctive colour scheme that blends in with its surroundings. Depending on the environment, the frog can change its colour, making it appear grey, green, or brown. In particular, its legs have a dark stripe-like pattern that contrasts sharply with the black-marked bright yellow or orange edges of its legs and arms. The report revealed that a female frog is usually larger than the male.
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Scientific Classification of Grey Tree frog
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Amphibia |
| Order | Anura |
| Family | Hylidae |
| Genus | Dryophytes |
| Species | D. Versicolor |
Description of Grey Tree Frog
These grey tree frogs prefer to inhabit a particularly wide geographic range and can be seen in most areas of the eastern half of the United States and as far west as central Texas and Oklahoma. These grey tree frogs can also be seen in the Canadian provinces of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba while there is an isolated population in New Brunswick.
These grey treefrogs are able to survive at temperatures as low as -8 °C due to the presence of fluids in their internal body, this quality makes the grey treefrog unique.
The gray treefrog is common in forested areas, as the frog is highly arboreal. Its calls can often be heard in rural residential areas along the East Coast and Midwest. It prefers to breed in semi-permanent woodland ponds without fish, but it will also lay eggs and complete breeding in swamps, vernal ponds, man-made fountains and water gardens, even swimming pool covers filled with rainwater.
Habitat of Grey Tree Frog:
The grey tree frog (Dryophytes versicolor) is found in a wide geographic area, occurring across much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. Here are some key points:
- Arboreal species: Gray tree frogs are primarily arboreal species and prefer to live on trees. They also like to live in forests and swamps to some extent.
- Forested Habitat: These grey tree frogs prefer to live in a variety of forested habitats including forests and wooded areas.
- Water Sources: Access to a water source is common in all of their habitats as they often prefer to live in swamps, ponds and other wet areas.
- Overwintering: Gray tree frogs spend the winter under a blanket of leaves and snow.
- Breeding site: Their eggs and larvae develop in shallow wildland ponds, swamps, puddles, and other types of permanent or temporary water bodies where there is no swift current.
Diet:
The gray tree frog (Dryophytes versicolor) has a varied diet that consists primarily of insects and invertebrates. They are opportunistic feeders, consuming a variety of predators available in their habitat. Some common food sources of the grey tree frog include flies, mosquitoes, spiders, crickets, beetles, and moths.
They are nocturnal in nature and hunt under trees and bushes in wooded areas. As tadpoles they also eat various algae and organic debris found in the water.
Size
An adult male gray tree frog can measure up to 1.25–2 inches (32–52 mm) in length, while females are usually slightly larger than males and can measure up to 1.5–2.25 inches (38–60 mm) in length.
Native Habitats
The grey tree frog’s range covers much of the eastern United States, from northern Florida to central Texas and extending north into parts of southeastern Canada. It is an arboreal species that lives in a variety of forested habitats and is often found in forests, swamps, agricultural lands, and wetlands.
Trees and access to a water source are common throughout their habitats. When the grey tree frog is young and in its metamorphosis it usually lives on the forest floor, but as it ages it moves into the forest canopy.
Life Span
Gray tree frogs (Dryophytes versicolor) can typically live for about 7 to 9 years in the wild. However, some frogs can live up to fifteen years. Keeping grey tree frogs can help them live even longer.
Sleeping Habitats
The grey tree frog is a typically nocturnal species of frog. They tend to hide in tree holes, under bark, rotten logs, under leaves, and under tree roots when they are resting. At night they search for insects in trees.
Interesting facts about Grey Tree Frog
- Mild Poison: Like many frogs, grey tree frogs secrete a mild poison through their skin. This poison is generally not harmful to humans.
- Diet: Due to their small size, these grey tree frogs feed mainly on small insects and other invertebrates. Their diet includes flies, ants, crickets, beetles, moths, and even snails or slugs.
- Wide Range: They are commonly found from central Texas to western Minnesota and then eastward to the coast. Also, they are not found in the southern parts of Florida or northern Maine. They are one of the most common tree frogs in the eastern part of the United States such as the United States.
- No subspecies: There are no recognized subspecies of grey tree frogs. They are often referred to as eastern grey tree frogs, northern grey tree frogs, common grey tree frogs, or tetraploid grey tree frogs.
- Ability to change colour: These frogs can change their colour from almost black to white. Although they do not change colour as quickly as chameleons, they are able to change their colour when it comes to escaping predators.
Reference: Wikipedia
https://bytica.net/grey-tree-frog-taxonomy-diet-facts/