Squirrel Treefrog

This tiny treefrog was hanging around the lights under our house.  I am pretty sure it is a rather young squirrel treefrog.  Almost all the sources I used to find out about it mentioned that they like to hang around outdoor light sources and look for insects.

According to enature, it is:

The rain frog commonly heard before and after summer showers. Nocturnal and very active. An efficient predator, it can frequently be seen catching insects around patio lights. During the day it hides under roof flashing or in garden shrubs; sometimes dozens are found huddled together.

 Since there are no squirrels on Dewees Island, it gets harder for me to remember their calls, but the call of the squirrel treefrog supposedly sounds like a squirrel.  Other sources have described it as a quacking sound.  The University of Georgia has lots of information about frogs, and this site where you can listen to the call.  They vary widely in coloring, and can rapidly change color to match their surroundings.

Treefrogs have large pads on their feet to help with climbing– here is a video of one climbing a tree in slow motion.

We have had such a dry summer that it is hard to imagine the seasonal wetlands they need to lay eggs, but back in April there was lots of standing water around.  According to this Natureworks site (New Hampshire Public Television),

The squirrel treefrog breeds from March to October. Mating usually happens after it rains. The female lays up to 1,000 eggs in a breeding pond of shallow, standing water with lots of vegetation. It takes about six weeks for the tadpoles to transform into froglets.

One of my new favorite field guides, Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, has more information about these frogs.


This Post Has One Comment

Leave a Reply