If the calls of the chorus frogs (see February 25 posting) sounded lively and communal, the isolated calls of male gray treefrogs somehow evoke longing and loneliness. It's a forlorn sound. EErrrrrrrrrrrrr!
As the temperature warms and the chorus frogs of February and March go mute, the damp muggy evenings give way to Cope’s gray treefrogs here in East Tennessee. These small (1.25 to 2 inches long) frogs are gray-to-green and covered with splotches for camouflage. They look like lumpy hunks of tree bark and like to hide in the shrubbery amongst the leaves and branches, often it seems a long ways from water. But all they really need is a little rain and a shallow temporary pool to reproduce.
The male’s call is a short raspy trill. EErrrrrrrrrrrrr! If it’s warm enough, you can hear these isolated crooners March through October, but the calls generally peak May through July.
Cope’s gray treefrogs are quite common in a wide variety of wooded habitats, even suburban settings with plenty of trees and shrubs for cover.
- Photo by my dear friend, the late Jim Logan. I still miss you buddy.
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Great! Now I know exactly what kind of cute little frog is hanging out around my small pond in the evening. Boy, is he loud!!
ReplyDeleteYes Patty. One little gray treefrog can be quite demonstrative. You know how males are.
ReplyDeleteWatch for eggs and tadpoles in your pond in a few days.
Lyn