Slone, Jonathan. “Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla Chrysoscelis).” Species Profile: Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla Chrysoscelis) | SREL Herpetology, Savanah River Ecology Laboratory, srelherp.uga.edu/anurans/hylchr.htm.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Natural History: Hyla chrysoscelis
While I was back in my home town of Rock Hill, S.C. for the weekend, I had a surprise waiting for me in my garage on Saturday night! It was Hyla chrysoscelis or Cope's Gray Treefrog. The Cope's Gray is morphologically indistinguishable from the Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor). Both are fairly large treefrogs that range from 1.25-2 in, with large toe pads that have extensive webbing, granular skin, and have heavier bodies than the Pine Woods (Hyla femoralis) or Squirrel (Hyla squirella) Treefrogs. Their large toe pads, extensive webbing, and long legs are perfect for jumping/ climbing the trees found in their arboreal habitat. Depending on their environment or level of activity their color can range from gray to green, often with irregular dark spots or mottling on their backs, and with a white belly. One of their distinguishing features is the dark-bordered whitish/ cream colored patches beneath their eyes. Another unique trait is the concealed portions of their hindlimbs are yellowish orange. The vibrant color on the Cope's hindlimbs represents aposematic coloration, it is a warning to any potential predators that they produce a toxic skin secretion that can be irritating to the eyes, nose, mouth, and any cuts or abrasions! It is suggested that anyone who touches a Cope's/ Grey Treefrog wash their hands immediately after they handling them. I decided not to handle the Cope's Gray because of the above listed reasons, but left the garage door open so he would be able to find his way out and call for mates to his heart's desire. The call of H. chrysoscelis is described as a musical trill sound, they typically breed in fish-less wetlands, and typically call in the vegetation surrounding the wetland. My house is surrounded by a forest and is frequently mistaken for vegetation by many species of frogs during the spring and summer months.
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2 comments:
Loved your post, so cool! Having those prominent toe pads is definitely a Hyla trait we learned about in lab and lecture! Also, I thought it was interesting how on the top surface of its smooth, permeable skin, its colors are darker and not so much aposematic, seeming like your typical frog colors (green, olive, grayish, etc.), but that its aposematic coloration was in fact on the back side of its hind limbs. What a sneaky place to have that aposematic coloration! I wonder how potent the secretions are, and how irritating they are to humans. Nice find!
Their skin secretions aren't painful, but you should wash your hands and not touch your eyes! I handled lots of Hyla versicolor for my dissertation research, and after a few years my hands became sensitized to them, so my skin would get dry and irritated as a result.
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