The other morning when I went down to open the Pick-Your-Own table, I was surprised to find a Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor) sitting on my chair in the early morning light!
As the species name Hyla versicolor implies, gray tree frogs are highly variable in color owing to their ability to camouflage themselves from gray to green, depending on the substrate they are sitting on. The degree of mottling varies. They can change from nearly black to nearly white. They change colors more slowly than a chameleon.
It is quite rare to see these frogs in daylight, as they are primarily nocturnal, so this was a real treat. Gray tree frogs are primarily arboreal, spending time in wooded areas, usually not far from a permanent water source. On rainy evenings they can often be found calling in or near shallow, temporary pools of water, and often in swimming pools. They are nocturnal and insectivorous, consuming most any small arthropods they can catch. They will also eat algae if readily available. Mating occurs throughout the spring and summer months. Gray tree frogs can change the color of their integument from a light green to a gray; this ability is used as a form of crypsis, or blending into the immediate environment to avoid predation.
All frogs are extremely sensitive to environmental disturbances and contamination. We are quite pleased to have such a healthy population on our farm, as we do not use the common pesticides which cause declines in frog populations.
If you’d like to hear what these singing tree frogs sound like, click here.
