Species
Cope's gray treefrog
Dryophytes chrysoscelis
A grey, lichen-patterned treefrog that changes colour and trills from the trees on spring and summer nights.
Photo Leila Dasher (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 3 to 6 cm long
- Habitat
- Woodland near ponds, swamps and ditches; gardens with trees
- Diet
- Insects and spiders
- In Georgia
- Common statewide
- Voice
- A fast, harsh trill lasting a second or two
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Grey, green or brown with dark, lichen-like blotches; a white spot below the eye; bright orange-yellow under the thighs
- Told apart from
- Bird-voiced treefrog, which is smaller and whistles
- Where to look
- On tree trunks, fences and walls; heard more than seen
Behaviour
Gray treefrogs change colour from grey to green to brown to match their background and temperature. They live high in trees and come down to shallow water to breed. The bright yellow flash under the thighs may startle predators.
Why they matter
They eat many insects in trees and gardens and are food for snakes and birds.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Small clusters on the surface of shallow water
Hatching — In a few days
Tadpoles — Often with red-orange tails; change into frogs in about 6 to 8 weeks
Maturity — In one to two years
Lifespan — Several years
Calling — On warm nights from April to August
Living around people
- Gray treefrogs often shelter in birdhouses, pipes and window frames; they are harmless.
Misconceptions
- A frog that changes colour is sick. Colour change is normal.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Sheltering under bark and leaves | Sheltering | Sheltering | Calling begins | Breeding | Breeding | Breeding | Young frogs leaving the water | Feeding | Sheltering on cold nights | Sheltering | Sheltering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 29 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
Canada
If you found one
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