Cope's Gray Tree Frog

Hyla chrysoscelis

Reptiles Alive name: "Hyla"

Hissstory: Hyla was an unwanted pet sent to live with us in March of 2010.

RA Diet: Crickets and meal worms.

Natural Diet: insects.

Range: Gray tree frogs are found throughout the eastern United States north into Canada. They are native to the Washington DC area.

Habitat: Forests, backyards, and urban parks.

Size: Gray tree frogs grow to about 1.25-2 inches, the record is 2 and 3/8 inches.

Lifespan: Can live 5 + years.

Reproduction: Males gray tree frogs begin to call in mid to late Spring. They form large groups called choruses. Their song is a flute like trill, a bit like a telephone. They breed March - October. Eggs are laid in water - usually ditches or puddles that form in the spring and dry up in the summer.

Conservation: Threats to gray tree frogs include: air & water pollution and habitat destruction. They require access to clean pools of water each spring in order to reproduce. If the pools of water are gone or polluted, the population of tree frogs in that area will disappear.

Cool Facts: Gray tree frogs have remarkable camouflage - they become almost invisible as they perch in the trees where they live. They can also change their skin color from a dark gray to almost white to a light green. If frightened, however, they flash bright gold on their thighs as they leap which may startle a predator.

Tree frogs also have suction cups on their hands and feet that allow them to stick to almost any surface. You might find a gray tree frog stuck to the outside of the glass window looking into your bedroom!