Green Treefrog
Hyla cinerea
One of the most attractive of Tennessee's frogs, the Green Treefrog is a sleek, long-legged inhabitant of cypress swamps and marshes in the western portion of the state.
Description: Green Treefrogs are 1.25 to 2.25 inches long. They are usually bright green with a distinct white or yellow stripe from the mouth to the thigh. Occasionally, the back is flecked with yellow. However, it may be nearly yellow when it is calling or a dull green or gray while it is inactive during cool weather.
Similar Species: The Green Treefrog can be confused with the Barking Treefrog. Compare the granulation on the skin on the treefrog's belly to the skin on its back. If the back is smoother, it's probably a Green Treefrog. If the skin on the back is granulated as much as the belly, it's probably a Barking Treefrog.
Voice: A loud nasal queenk, queenk.
Habitat: These frogs are found in forested areas and swamps in western Tennessee that have abundant vegetation surrounding the shoreline.
Diet: Green Treefrogs are insect eaters and they favor flies, mosquitoes and other small insects. They appear to be most attracted to active prey.
Breeding information: The eggs are laid in small packets or films at or near the surface and attached to floating vegetation. The eggs are brownish to black with white or cream. Metamorphosis of tadpoles takes about one to two months.
Status in Tennessee: Common within their range.
Fun Facts:
- Sometimes called the Rain Frog, Green Treefrogs perform a rain call when they sense a shower on the way
- This species has a parietal organ, located on the top of the head between the eyes, that is thought to assist in compass orientation and thermoregulation
Best places to see in Tennessee: Cypress swamps and marshes in West Tennessee are home to Green Treefrogs.
For more information:
The Frogs and Toads of Tennessee web site
LEAPS Consulting web site on frogs and toads
The University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Sources:
Conant, R. and Collins, J. 1998. Peterson Field Guides: Reptiles and Amphibians (Eastern/Central North America). Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. 616pp.
Recording ©2010, Robert English, Leaps
