Natural History: Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea)

On March 6, 2018 our class traveled to the Caw Caw county park here in a pile of leaves next to a pond I caught this adorable Hyla cinerea, or the green treefrog. The specimen was just over an inch long and was easily identifiable due to the lateral stripe on it's side, yellow spots on it's back, and large toepads. Unsurprisingly it was quite agile as this is an arboreal species that has adapted to move far and quickly. If the species had been in a tree with vegetation it would have been almost impossible to see, but luckily it was surrounded by dead vegetation making it an easier target to spot. It was also later determined to be a male due to the fact that  "The external, subgular vocal sac is mostly white or yellow in males when not inflated"(Conant and Collins, 1998).  One of the most difficult and surprising parts about holding on to him was that he was very slippery, and excreted a lot of mucus. This species goes through classic metamorphosis as "the tadpoles can reach as much as 60 mm in length before metamorphosis in a 28- 44 day span."(Green Tree Frog, 2015). This species carries a complex life cycle that is one of evolutions oldest traits. 

Sources: 

Collins, J. T. (1993). Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas: Third Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Lawrence.

“Green Tree Frog - Hyla Cinerea - Details.” Encyclopedia of Life, eol.org/pages/1025215/details. 2015