Green Tree Frog Research Paper

The green tree frog is considered to be one of the most beautiful frogs in North America. It is active at night and would rather climb than jump. The scientific name for the tree frog is Hyla cinerea while the common name is green tree frog. Hyla means tree frog. The green tree frogs are native to Southeastern USA throughout the Florida, Georgia, Eastern Virginia, and East and Central Texas. They are primarily found in habitats with floating vegetation, debris, grasses and cattails. They would most likely be found in or near lakes, marshes, small ponds, and streams. The female green tree frogs tend to be slightly larger than the males, with the vocal pouch being a feature only present in males. The green shades of these frogs range from a bright
yellow olive to a distinct lime green. Temperature and lighting both largely affect the darkness of the frogs color. The stomach area of the frog is generally pale yellow or white in color. These relatively medium sized frog’s range from around 2.5 inches lengthwise. Like other tree frogs the green tree frog has large toe pads, which helps it climb up trees and other things that are basically straight up without falling. This is important for its survival because if it couldn’t climb then it would get eaten so much easier but because it can climb up trees it can get away from predators. The tree grogs main predators are mammals, reptiles, and fish. Tree frogs rely on camouflage as well to protect themselves from predators.
A tree frogs diet includes mosquitoes, flies, and smaller insects. These frogs eat with their tongue. A frogs tongue is about a third of its entire body. If a humans tongue were the same equivalent as frogs, their tongues would reach their bellybuttons. These frogs always prefer to feed on active prey and will sometimes pass up on an insect if it is passive. The green tree frog has some environmental adaptations. It possesses the ability to camouflage, which will protect it from predators. This is the frog’s main way of protecting itself from predators. The tree frog also has selective hearing and permeable skin which both help it excel in its habitat. The green tree frog breeds from March to October in southern areas and from April to September in northern areas. Usually breading follows a heavy rainfall. When it is time for breading to begin large groups of males will gather and call out to the females. The females will then lay up to 400 eggs in shallow water and the males will fertilize them. The tadpoles will hatch in about a week and will become frogs in two months. Green tree frogs are mobile and are mostly solitary except for during mating season, they are found in large
groups. They make small-scale movements in between mating seasons. They are the most active when the weather is moist. Some people use these tree frogs as an indicator of weather because they call the loudest during damp weather. These frogs also hibernate in the winter to keep from freezing. These animals are not threatened or endangered and are commonly kept as pets. Green tree frogs have an environmental importance to humans. They impact the mosquito population and other small insects through predation. They can also be biological indicators of aquatic contamination. Pesticides, herbicides, and medications that shouldn’t be in water but find their way into water get introduced to the frogs as tadpoles and because of the frog’s permeable skin it seeps into it. Adult frogs are found to be general indicators of contaminated areas. A fun fact about green tree frogs is that it is the Georgia and Louisiana state amphibian.