Species
Squirrel treefrog
Dryophytes squirellus
A small, colour-changing treefrog whose chattering call sounds like a scolding squirrel.
Photo USGS (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 2.5 to 4 cm long
- Habitat
- Woods, gardens and towns near shallow water
- Diet
- Insects
- In Georgia
- Common in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont
- Voice
- A raspy, duck-like "waaak"; a squirrel-like chatter in rain
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Small; green, brown or grey and able to change; often a pale line along the upper lip and a dark spot between the eyes
- Told apart from
- Green treefrog, which is larger with a clean white side stripe
- Where to look
- On walls, windows and plants in towns and gardens
Behaviour
Squirrel treefrogs call from trees during summer rains and breed in temporary pools. They are common around houses, where they hunt insects near lights.
Why they matter
They are among the most common frogs in southern towns and eat many insects.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Laid singly on the bottom of shallow pools
Hatching — In a few days
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in about 6 weeks
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — During summer rains
Living around people
- Squirrel treefrogs in drains and gutters are sheltering; they are harmless.
Misconceptions
- Every green frog on a window is a green treefrog. Squirrel treefrogs change colour and are often green too.
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 on warm nights | Sheltering | Sheltering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 11 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