Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Description: Both D. chrysoscelis and D. versicolor have black-marked bright orange to yellow patches on their hind legs, which distinguishes them from other treefrogs, such as D. avivoca. The bright-yellow pattern is normally hidden, but exposed when the frog leaps. This "flash pattern" likely serves to startle a predator as the frog makes its escape. Similar hidden bright patterns are common in various Lepidoptera, for instance moths of the genus Catocala. Both species of gray treefrogs are slightly sexually dimorphic. Males have black or gray throats in the breeding season, while the throats of the females are lighter.
Habitat: They prefer to perch on pipes located along the edges of wetlands and close to trees, which suggests that the terrestrial habitat surrounding wetlands is an important component of the species habitat.
Range: The range of D. chrysoscelis is more southerly; it is apparently the species found in the lower elevation Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Virginia and the Carolinas. In those areas, D. versicolor may be present only in the Appalachians. While this species is most abundant in the southeast, it can be found as far north as Minnesota. D. chrysoscelis has also been observed to practice freeze tolerance in a lab setting, which could help it survive in cold climates.
Diet: The diet of Cope's gray treefrog primarily consists of insects such as moths, mites, spiders, plant lice, and harvestmen. Snails have also been observed as a food source. Like most frogs, Hyla chrysoscelis is an opportunistic feeder and may also eat smaller frogs, including other treefrogs. Once the breeding season is over, Cope's gray treefrogs will forage continuously until winter.
Reproduction: Eggs are laid in batches of 10 to 40 on the surfaces of shallow ponds and other small bodies of water. These temporary bodies of water usually lack fish, and females preferentially lay their eggs in water bodies that lack fish or other predatory vertebrates and have lower desiccation risk. Eggs hatch in about five days and metamorphosis takes place at about 45 to 65 days.
Status: Hyla chrysoscelis is not currently classified as endangered or of special concern. However, habitat destruction and human pollutants are contributing to the overall decline of amphibians, including frog and toad species. Public support of habitat areas in state parks, nature reserves, and private property continues to promote the survival of amphibian species. Ongoing scientific research also improves our understanding of this dynamic species.
»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
»» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
»» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
»» Class: Amphibia - Amphibians
»» Order: Anura - Frogs & Toads
»» Family: Hylidae - Treefrogs
»» Genus: Dryophytes
»» Species: Hyla chrysoscelis - Cope's Gray Treefrog
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cope's Gray Treefrog", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
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