What Is a Gray Tree Frog?
The gray tree frog is the common species of arboreal holaradian tree frog, native to much of the east coast and the northeastern United States. It is also commonly known as the grayback tree frog. Occurring in varying colors, from brown to gray, this species has been a part of nature’s history since the earliest times. This article provides information about this remarkable and beautiful frog. This information is provided by the US Forest Service (USFHS), in cooperation with APHIS, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNZ), and the University of Minnesota.
The scientific name of this interesting species is colchicinella rosae, and it is native to North America, specifically from the eastern states of New York, Ohio, and Illinois, to central Oregon. It was first described in 1855 by German zoologist Reinhold Voll, based upon drawings and descriptions that were made by an amateur. It is considered a transitional species between an ordinary mouse-headed frog and the highly arboreal colchicinella rosae. The latter refers to a type of tree-dwelling frog. The scientific name of this genus, however, has since been revised to incorporate the word ‘colchicinella’ since there is no relation to any previously existing family names.
Unlike most frogs, the gray tree frog does not have a tail. Instead, it possesses a short and robust trunk, with three to nine soft-plastic feelers at the end of its tail. These feelers are covered with a thin paper-like substance that protects the sharp ends while allowing them to move quickly and easily. This allows it to leap and walk very quickly.
Although it has a gray body and gray spots on its face, gray tree frogs differ in their coloration on the rest of their bodies by how they are colored with regards to their throats, surrounding areas, and their iridescent scales. Their iridescent scales look similar to that of a snail’s shell. They also have two to four pairs of teardrop-shaped spots on their throats. These throat spots can sometimes be seen from beneath the animal’s skin. These spots are also somewhat unique in that each pair appears to be slightly smaller than the next, with the size of the spots ranging between seven and eight millimeters in length.
Since the gray tree frog can live for up to ten years in captivity, it is one of the more popular species found in the southeastern United States. They prefer a drier tropical environment but can adapt to low moisture environments. During the summer they will grow larger sizes than during winter. Their name comes from the fact that their frog’s saliva helps to control the population of certain insects in the area. The most common insect in which the gray tree frog can be found in the house cricket.
Like many other species of this family, the gray tree frog can also be found in a variety of colors. There are red and gray variations. They can be found as small as half an inch. When they are full-grown they reach three to five inches in length.
In order to feed these frogs, a special tree branch known as the philodendron branch needs to be pruned so that the gray tree frog can latch on. The branch contains enzymes which the tree swallows when they bite it. In return, the tree absorbs some of the digestive juices from the frog’s body. This process causes the frog to slowly digest its food. This is why it is so important to catch the tree frogs when they are feeding.
In captivity, the gray tree frog will eat a wide range of foods including adult insects, mealworms, brine shrimp, earthworms, roaches, wax worms, and even fungus. It will also accept flaked vegetables and dried fruits as well as a variety of algae. It can survive off of a few algae alone, but it will not do well if there are other types of algae present in its environment. The gray tree frog is an extremely popular and beautiful species to have as a pet because of its unique features and interesting habits.