Hola, Hyla

A Green Treefrog clings to the Equisetum (horsetail, scouring-rush) on the Dinosaur Trail.

Welcome the treefrogs.

While I’ve heard an occasional call from both Cope’s Gray and Green Treefrogs over the past several weeks it was last week when they began to make themselves conspicuous to the average herp hunter. Two gray and a handful of green treefrogs were spotted on Thursday (3/29). Both frogs are expert at camouflage so I’m sure there were more in the area that escaped detection, if you see one or two, there’s probably many more around.

Although I haven’t heard them call out in earnest yet, I predict that the next rainfall will compel them to full chorus mode as long as it’s a relatively warm rain.

The frogs seem a tad early, but just about everything seems early due to the unusual warmth this year. Perhaps their breeding season will be extended and we’ll have many more frogs to look at next year!

Cope’s Gray Treefrog on a Sweetgum near the entrance to Catch the Wind.

Update: It rained Saturday morning (3/31). Throughout the day I occasionally heard both Gray Treefrogs and Green Treefrogs vocalizing, but I did not hear an all out chorus. Perhaps they began singing at full strength that night, after all of we humans had gone home. It was a loud night at my house (frog-wise) so it must have been going strong here at the Museum, but I don’t know for sure.

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