Caught out in the cold yesterday was a somewhat emaciated young Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea). The frog was seen amongst the horesetail growing in front of the Butterfly House. It was apparently lured out of hibernation by the warm temperatures and rain of the night before. This, however, is December and fronts that carry precipitation are usually followed by cold, dry north winds, no kind of weather for a treefrog to be caught hopping around in.

This is probably the last Green Treefrog that we will see until spring, except for the occasional sight of one in the Butterfly House’s Conservatory, that is. These little frogs have a knack for finding there way into the warm tropical habitat provided for the butterflies in the Conservatory. And what better place to be for an insect-eating frog but in a warm, humid, closed environment with lots of juicy butterflies everywhere you look!

Hopefully, our little frog (in the photos) found a place to hibernate, perhaps under the siding of the Butterfly House, until the “real” spring comes to town.