Species
Pine woods treefrog
Dryophytes femoralis
A small, brown treefrog of southern pine woods whose call sounds like Morse code.
Photo Judy Gallagher (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 2.5 to 4 cm long
- Habitat
- Pine flatwoods and cypress ponds
- Diet
- Insects
- In Georgia
- The Coastal Plain
- Voice
- A rapid, rhythmic clicking like Morse code
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Small, reddish-brown to grey; a row of orange or yellow spots on the back of the thigh
- Told apart from
- Squirrel treefrog, which lacks the thigh spots
- Where to look
- High in pines; heard more than seen
Behaviour
It lives high in pine trees and comes down to breed in shallow, temporary ponds after summer rains.
Why they matter
It is part of the chorus of southern pine flatwoods, a habitat shaped by fire and seasonal water.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Small clusters on the surface of shallow water
Hatching — In a few days
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in several weeks
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — During summer rains
Living around people
- It is harmless and rarely seen near houses.
Misconceptions
- Clicking in the pines at night is an insect. It is often this frog.
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 | Sheltering | Active on warm nights | Calling | Breeding after rain | Breeding | Breeding | Young frogs | Feeding | Active | Sheltering | Sheltering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 8 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.
I found an animal