Tiny hatchlings soon turn into tadpoles with short, round bodies and eyes that bulge out at the sides of their heads (Fig.Eggs hatch more quickly in warmer water, with the time averaging two to three weeks.Egg masses often become camouflaged with algae and sediment. Egg masses are attached to sticks or grasslike vegetation below the surface, or may be on the bottom in shallow areas.Individual egg masses contain 10 to 75 eggs, measure 1 to 2 inches across, and are surrounded by a special jelly that swells up on contact with water.Females lay 400 to 750 eggs, which are externally fertilized by the male.Males chorus while floating at the surface or sitting partially submerged in shallow water. Male treefrogs are the first to move into their aquatic breeding areas and soon begin chorusing to attract females.(Adapted from, Corkran, Amphibians of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia: A Field Identification Guide. Treefrog tadpoles eat algae, decaying vegetation, and scavenge on dead earthworms, fish, or whatever else is available.įigure 2.Adult treefrogs catch prey with their long, elastic-like, sticky ended tongues.Adults have been seen and heard up in trees and outside windows two stories high. Toe pads on their front and hind toes enable treefrogs to climb in search of beetles, flies, spiders, ants, and leafhoppers.Treefrogs secrete a waxy coating from their skin glands that allows them to remain moist and travel far from water. During dry periods and in arid areas, adult treefrogs are active only at night, spending the day in water or shaded vegetation, a rock or log crevice, rodent burrow, or other protected place.Note: Ponds, swamps, marshes, and similar spots are used only a few weeks or months of the year treefrogs spend the rest of the year in surrounding areas. Outside of the breeding season, adult treefrogs inhabit a variety of habitats, including woodlands, meadows, pastures, and gardens-at times several hundred yards from water.Breeding sites include ponds, swamps, marshes, and roadside ditches-even puddles that dry up during the warm months. Depending on location, treefrogs move into breeding sites from February (coastal areas) to July.Consequently the "ribbit-ribbit" calls of this species have become the stereotypical frog call, even in areas where treefrogs don't occur. When Hollywood moviemakers wanted frog calls to convey the feeling of nighttime outdoors, they recorded treefrogs. A dry-land call made by male treefrogs away from their breeding ponds is a single-note Krr-r-r-ek. Male treefrogs call mainly in the evening and at night, although they often call sporadically during the day at the height of the breeding season. This calling stimulates other males to join in, and large concentrations of these frogs can be heard far away, especially on nights when air temperatures remain above 45 degrees. The "song" or call of the male treefrog, designed to attract females, is a loud, two-part kreck-ek, or a ribbit, often repeated many times. A sharply defined black mask extends from the tip of its snout to its shoulder. Adults measure 2 inches in length and vary in color from a bronze brown to a light lime green, and from solid in color to intricate patterns. The Pacific treefrog is an adaptable species found from rainforests near sea level, to mountains at 11,000 feet, and on into dry interior areas of Washington where water is available. 1) is the smallest but most commonly seen and heard frog in Washington, and for that reason much of this page is devoted to it. The Pacific treefrog (Pseudacris regilla, Fig. Over time, legs develop, the tail and gills are absorbed, and the frog becomes a terrestrial, air-breathing animal. Frogs start their lives as totally aquatic animals with gills and a pronounced tail fin this is familiar to many people as the tadpole stage. Amphibians (from the Greek words amphi, meaning "both," and bios or "life") are fittingly named. Laura Rogersįrogs, along with salamanders and newts, are members of the animal group called amphibians. This color change is related to the temperature and amount of moisture in the air, not to the background color as is the case for most reptiles. Individual treefrogs can change color between green and brown tones in a few minutes.
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