Gray Treefrog
Hyla versicolor
Summary:Relatively common in the Indiana counties, and known from Will, Cook, and DuPage Counties in Illinois. The distribution of the two cryptic tree frog species is the subject of ongoing studies.
Description: This is a medium sized (1.25 to 2.25 inches; 3.2 to 6.0 cm) tree frog, with a robust body form and slightly roughened skin. It is usually some shade of light green or pale gray, with or without an irregular lichen-like blotch on the back. The same frog may be dramatically different colors at different times. There is usually a light spot under each eye, and bright yellow-orange flash colors with black mottling on the concealed surfaces of the hind legs. Toe pads are readily visible.
Hyla versicolor is a tetraploid, distinguishable from the diploid Hyla chrysoscelis only by call or by chromosome count or cell size.
Distribution and Status: The gray treefrog is known from the southern and eastern parts of the region, including localities in southern Cook and Will Counties, and in the Indiana Dunes area. Where it does occur the gray treefrog may be relatively common, although clusters of populations are often widely fragmented. Not all treefrog populations in the Chicago region have been positively identified at this time, so there is some uncertainty on the exact distributional limits of the two sibling species.
Habitat: Many populations are associated with relatively dense woodland or forest, although this species also occurs in open sand savanna. Breeding takes place in a variety of wetland types including shrub swamps, marshes, and ponds.
Voice: A melodic trill, similar to the sound made by a Red-bellied Woodpecker; slower and more pleasant than the call of Hyla chrysoscelis.
Phenology: Breeding begins in May and extends sporadically into early summer. Juveniles leave the ponds later in the summer, but are not often seen. Adults generally ascend into trees outside of the breeding season.
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| Updated: October 9, 2007
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