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On
a warm summer evening, a lively sound can be heard in your backyard. It’s
followed by another, and then another. Standing in your backyard, you notice
the sound comes from your swimming pool!
You
wander toward the pool, then pause as you hear another from the shallow pond at the edge of the woods.
A
closer look shows a gray creature stuck to the side
of the pool. What is
it? It’s a frog!
To
be exact, it is a medium-sized amphibian
called a
gray tree frog, scientifically known as hyla versicolor. An amphibian is an animal, such as a frog or salamander, which is
born and grows in the water until it is an adult. It can then live on land.
How
can you tell it’s a gray tree frog and not another kind of frog? Even though
this frog is called the “gray” tree frog, it can actually change its color depending on the temperature. Its color can be different shades of gray, brown, and
even green.
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| Photos by: Dave Small www.dhsmall.net |
Sometimes, the gray is so light,
it looks almost white. Dark gray splotches are visible on its coarse back, and
light spots can be found under the eyes. When you flip the frog over, you will
see a white belly and an orange coloring on the hind legs.
A
look at the end of the toes shows fat round pads. They may look like suction
cups to you, but they are actually pads that produce a sticky mucous. This helps the
frog attach to upright surfaces,making it easy for him to climb and even jump from tree branch to tree branch.
The
most fascinating way to tell this tree frog from another is that comical sound which lured you to explore in the first place. A very loud trill, unique to this amphibian, can be heard clearly in the evening.
The
male makes this call by inflating a large vocal sac under its chin. For such
a small fellow, you’d be amazed at the racket he can make.
What’s
the reason for this odd sound? This is the way the male frog calls to the female
frog so they can find each other and mate.
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| Photos by: Dave Small www.dhsmall.net |
Where can you find these noisy
little frogs? Gray tree frogs can be found in the eastern United States, as far
north as Canada, and as far west as North Dakota. Their habitat is the woodlands,
around ponds, swamps, shallow pools of water, and, yes, even swimming pools.
In
these surroundings, they love to eat bugs! Flies, crickets, moths, aphids, grasshoppers, spiders, and beetles are some of their favorites.
During the day they are hidden from view on or beneath tree bark and vegetation.
After
these frogs awaken from hibernation, where they sleep through the winter beneath tree roots, they can be heard calling when
the temperature reaches over 60 degrees. The females will lay 30-40 eggs in one
cluster, up to 1,800 or more. They will stick to floating vegetation. This is usually from late April to the middle of August, depending on the region.
So,
when the time comes for a dip in the pool, listen and look closely. You may find
some amphibian friends, or their eggs, sharing the water with you.
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