View allAll Photos Tagged graytreefrog
Tyr, with his messed up left hand, hanging out on a big fat Pothos vine. I had actually planned to trim this particular section of the plant as it's starting to overgrow the vivarium, but he took a shine to it before the pruners came out.
Lighting info:
-Parchment paper placed above and behind to the camera left, and a larger piece camera right.
-Sunpak 433d firing through each piece of paper.
-Triggered by rf-602's.
-Shot through the glass of the tank.
I was very excited this past Saturday 10 Aug. 2019 to find about a dozen tiny Gray tree frogs on plants and trees close to a frog pond I often visit for dragonfly and frog photos.
I first noticed these amazing little frogs at this location in 2014. I saw them again in late summer 2015, but then poof gone for 2016, 17 and 18. I feared that they had totaly died out. Then Saturday after looking around the trees and plants near the pond I found none and was on my way back to my car when I spotted the first one on a low leaffy plant on the tree line, then I saw another and another all hiding in plain sight.
They have the ability to slowly change their color to the color of whatever they are sitting on which is a very effective camouflage.
This is why I thought he was a rock when I walked by, and if a rock would not have looked out of place on the railing over a bridge, I probably wouldn't have noticed him. He (or she--I didn't ask) was approximately 5-6cm, and you can easily see that he'd be near-invisible against tree bark. The irregular star-shaped pattern on top is characteristic, and although you can't see it because his legs are folded, they also have yellow-orange "flash" on the backs of the legs. The plan is to startle potential predators with the bright colour as the frog hops away unharmed.
This weekend I was lucky to photograph this Gray Treefrog (confirmed by the Cortland Herpetology Connection). It was nestled down in a flower on my wife's grandmother's front porch.
The Gray Tree Frog remarkable ability to climb or rest on vertical surfaces is the result of a mucous layer produced by toe pad cells. This mucous creates a sticky bond with the vertical surface that’s strong enough to support the frog’s weight.
In regard to diet, the gray tree frog is an opportunistic feeder that eats mostly insects, spiders and other invertebrates.
This frog’s breeding season lasts from early April through July. Males begin calling at breeding sites when night air temperatures reach around 60 degrees. Their calls resemble musical, birdlike or buzzing trills, and the chorus attracts females to the site. The frogs then breed in water.
Afterwards, each female may produce between 700 and 3,800 eggs, and biologists have documented individual frogs producing multiple clutches in a single season. Eggs are light brown, and they measure barely 1/25-inch in diameter.
After they are deposited, the eggs attach to floating vegetation in clumps of 30 to 40 eggs. They hatch in only four or five days, and the tadpoles completely metamorphose within two months. Young frogs typically stay near the breeding site for the remainder of summer.
Fortunately, most land use practices are not detrimental to the gray tree frog’s survival, as long as some shallow ditches or ponds are left undisturbed. The gray tree frog is an interesting component of Oklahoma’s natural world, and discovering one can be the highlight of an outing. So, while you’re out this summer, keep a sharp eye out for the chameleon of the frog world – the gray tree frog – which may be gray or green or anything in-between.
On 24 Aug 2014 I stopped by a small pond near my home in hopes of catching a few photos of bullfrogs. It was still early morning with a light dew on the grass and as I was standing by the pond quiet and still hoping to spot the bullfrogs I started to notice the grasses plants and foliage around me and the pond. Then I noticed the first Tiny Gray tree Frog sitting on a leaf just a foot or less away from me. Then I noticed another and another. In all I spotted about a dozen of the quiet little fellows around me but I am sure there were more I didn't see. If I had to pick a real "OH Wow " moment from all my photos this past summer this would be it. These little frogs were amazing so tiny and well camouflaged that I was standing with them all around me and only by luck spotted them
Hyla versicolor
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I didn't crop these at all to show just how small they were, the bottom one is smaller than the top one, either one would have easily fit on my thumbnail!
Kensington Metro Park MI
On 24 Aug 2014 I stopped by a small pond near my home in hopes of catching a few photos of bullfrogs. It was still early morning with a light dew on the grass and as I was standing by the pond quiet and still hoping to spot the bullfrogs I started to notice the grasses plants and foliage around me and the pond. Then I noticed the first Tiny Gray tree Frog sitting on a leaf just a foot or less away from me. Then I noticed another and another. In all I spotted about a dozen of the quiet little fellows around me but I am sure there were more I didn't see. If I had to pick a real "OH Wow " moment from all my photos this past summer this would be it. These little frogs were amazing so tiny and well camouflaged that I was standing with them all around me and only by luck spotted them
A small treefrog rests on a day lily as the summer sun beats down.
This photo was not staged. I actually found this little treefrog just like this, settled on this day lily. I think what really makes the capture complete for me is the pollen scattered across the frog's back.
Thanks for viewing! :)
The chameleon of the frog world. That's how some people describe the gray tree frog – a name that implies this animal is always the same color, and ignores its ability to adapt to backgrounds ranging from gray to green.
With a white spot under both eyes, a white belly and yellowish-orange markings on the inside of its hind legs, the gray tree frog is a handsome and exotic-looking amphibian. Closer examination reveals large adhesive pads on the end of its toes, which allow it to cling to vertical surfaces. But, certainly, this amphibian's most curious feature is its ability to change colors much like the more-famous lizard with the same trait, the chameleon.
Though common throughout much of the southern United States, the gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor) has been found as far north as the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Manitoba. In Oklahoma, they live wherever they find small ponds, roadside ditches and other pools of standing water. The best habitat is shallow water located close to mixed stands of willows, oaks and pines. The frogs also prefer lots of overhead vegetation, and fallen branches or extensive vegetation along the water’s edge. They often congregate in areas with an abundance of shrubs and vines.
During the day, gray tree frogs hide on or beneath rough tree bark, in hollow trees and on leaves. They tolerate high temperatures quite well, and they're most active during the summer, when humidity is high.
Hyla versicolor * Knott Co, Ky
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Hyla
Size - about 2" long
The Gray Treefrog can be green, gray, or brown in color. It can be a solid color, or it can have blotches on its back. The gray treefrog can change its color in seconds. It tends to become darker when it is cold or dark. Its coloring helps it blend in with tree bark! It has a white underside and lots of warts. It has large, sticky toe pads that help it cling to tree bark and other surfaces. It has bright yellow to orange skin under its thighs.
The gray treefrog is nocturnal. It spends the day resting in trees and shrubs. At night, it crawls among the branches and leaves looking for food. It usually only comes out of the trees and bushes during the breeding season. In the winter, it hibernates under leaves, bark, or rocks on the forest floor.
Breeding season runs from April to August. Males gather in trees and bushes next to breeding ponds and swamps and begin calling. The male aggressively defends its territory from intruders. The female selects a mate based on his call. She lays her eggs on the surface of shallow water in ponds or swamps. She may also lay her eggs in standing water in tire ruts, vernal pools, or even swimming pools! The eggs are attached to vegetation to keep them from floating away. The female lays as many as 2,000 eggs in groups of 10-40 eggs. The tadpoles hatch in 4-5 days and change into froglets in about two months.
Info taken from: www.nhptv.org/wild/graytreefrog.asp
Copyright ©2015 Salina T Gibson *All Rights Reserved
Fatty needed no coercion to pose on her new Ficus. It's leaves are wide enough to hold her fatness so it has become a quick favorite.
Lighting info:
-Sunpak 433d bounced off large white foamcore camera right and slightly behind.
-Sunpak 433d bounced off near white wall camera left.
-Triggered with rf602s.
Caroline spotted these Eastern Gray Tree Frogs in a parking lot outside our apartment. The male has an iron grip on the female. Once he is in position, he will not move, but the female will carry him to water. The male will not move from the female even when disturbed. Since a car was coming, Caroline decided to pick the pair up and move them to a safer location. The pair stayed intact, though they did jump from Caroline's hand to their new location.