Amphibians · Anura · Hylidae

Gray Treefrog

Dryophytes versicolor

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The grey treefrog is an amphibian of the bark: its mottled grey skin makes it invisible on tree trunks, and only when it jumps does it show bright orange patches on the inner surface of its thighs. It survives the winters of north-eastern North America by partly freezing, using glycerol as an antifreeze.

Size

3 cm – 6 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestFreshwaterInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Amphibian Temperate forest Freshwater

2countries 28parks7same family

Fun facts

GeneralIt shifts from grey to green with its background, and survives its body partly freezing.
It is a complex of two genetically distinct species that cannot be told apart by eye: one has twice as many chromosomes as the other, and only song and genetic analysis can separate them. They share habitat without hybridising.
It survives winters of more than ten degrees below zero by freezing part of its body fluids, using glycerol and glucose as antifreeze, and thaws out unharmed in spring.
Its orange patches on the inner surface of the thighs show only when it jumps: a flash of colour that confuses a predator and disappears the moment the frog lands again.