Description Hyla chrysoscelis is often confused with Hyla versicolor. The two species are actually identical except in distribution, call, and chromosomal count. H. chrysoscelis is diploid (N=2), where as H. versicolor is tetraploid, (N=4). H. chrysoscelis is a relatively large treefrog that is usually gray or green in color. The exact coloration is determined by the activities and environment of individuals and can therefore vary within the species. All individuals, however, have bright orange or yellow bits of color spotted with black along their hind legs (Conant and Collins 1998). Distribution and Habitat
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: United States U.S. state distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia Canadian province distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Manitoba
This frog occurs widely across much of the eastern United States. They range from central Texas in the south, as far north as Ontario, Canada and all the way out to the east coast, where they can be found in the panhandle of Florida and up north into Maine (Conant and Collins 1998). H. chrysoscelis is usually found in wet woodlands, such as ponds or swamps (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999) . Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors Activities Hyla chrysoscelis is often found in small trees or shrubs located near or in bodies of water, and are very well camouflaged against the trunks of these trees. This species of frog is very rarely seen on the ground except during the breeding season (Conant and Collins 1998).
References
Bartlett, R. D., and Bartlett, P. P. (1999). A Field Guide to Florida: Reptiles and Amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas.
Conant, R. and Collins, J.T. (1998). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.
Originally submitted by: Elizabeth Reisman (first posted 2001-05-09)
Edited by: Vance T. Vredenburg, Kevin Gin (2004-11-23)Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2004 Hyla chrysoscelis: Cope's Gray Treefrog <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/768> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Nov 26, 2024.
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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 26 Nov 2024.
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