Details
Dryophytes versicolor
The gray treefrog is an eastern North American treefrog that can shift color from gray to green to match bark and lichen. Enlarged toe pads let it climb bark, leaves and walls.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It occurs from southeastern Canada through the eastern United States in forest, edges, wetlands, parks and gardens. Fish-free ponds and temporary pools are used for breeding.
Adults are 3.2-6 cm long. The back can be gray, green or brown, while the inner thighs flash bright yellow to orange.
Nocturnal by habit, it hides on bark or foliage by day. Males call on warm nights with a high, musical trill.
Moths, flies, beetles, spiders and other small invertebrates are taken. The frog waits on vegetation and lunges at prey that comes within range.
Breeding runs from spring into summer around ponds and pools. Females lay small egg masses near the surface, and tadpoles transform within weeks to months.
It closely resembles Cope's gray treefrog, but voice and chromosome number separate them. It can live around people, though pesticides and wetland loss remain risks.
