Bird-voiced Treefrog
Hyla avivoca A medium-sized treefrog, the Bird-voiced Treefog is found in swamps, creeks and rivers in the western part of the state.
Description: The color of these treefrogs, which are 1 to 1.75 inches long, is highly variable but they are usually gray or green with irregular marks on their back. They have a light, sometimes white, spot under the eye, warty skin, and yellow-green to pale green "flash colors" on the hidden part of their thighs.
Similar Species: The Gray Treefrog has yellow-orange on the concealed surfaces of the thigh.
Voice: A ringing, somewhat birdlike whistle repeated 20 or more times. Some liken the call to the sound of someone whistling for their dog. They begin calling in mid-April and continue through August.
Habitat: The Bird-voiced Treefrog is found in bottoms, sloughs and swamps along rivers and large creeks in the western portion of the state.
Diet: Opportunistic feeders that forage in trees and shrubs, Bird-voiced Treefrogs consume spiders and small tree-dwelling insects.
Breeding information: Considered late breeders, this species lays small bunches of 6-15 eggs in shallow pools. Metamorphosis of tadpoles takes about 30 days.
Status in Tennessee: Common in appropriate habitat and range.
Fun Facts:
- Bird-voiced Treefrogs are nocturnal and arboreal, coming from the trees only to breed
- The bright "flash colors" on the thighs of treefrogs (which are hidden when the frog is at rest) is thought to visually confuse predators
Best places to see in Tennessee: Swamps in West Tennessee are good locales to find this species.
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
