Eastern Gray Treefrog or Cope’s Gray Treefrog – Photo: L. Weikel
Treefrog
As Spartacus and I were walking the other day, I noticed him run up to something at the edge of the road and immediately jump back. I figured it was a cicada, since they’re appearing in greater and greater numbers. But Spart tends to gobble them up – so his surprised jump back and subsequent retreat from whatever it was made me curious.
The little guy looked from afar like something that could easily be mistaken for a small chunk of blue-gray lichen. But as soon as I got close enough, I could see s/he was a beautiful amphibian. My guess was a treefrog.
While it wasn’t too keen on being sniffed by Spartacus, it was not at all reticent about having me photograph it from a variety of angles. The design and color of its back were particularly fascinating.
Fantastic Resource
Spartacus and I were traveling along a portion of a road that is flanked by a vast field that tends to retain a shallow wetness in the spring and is one of the first places Karl and I hear peepers and treefrogs. And this little guy was headed across the road right toward the ol’ watering hole. As it was obviously not a common bullfrog, nor a toad, I was leaning toward identifying it as a treefrog.
Lucky for us here in PA, we have a fantastic resource available to help us identify all things herpetological, Pennsylvania Herp Identification.
I’ve written about this resource before, as it’s been essential to helping me identify a variety of snakes (here and here) I’ve encountered.
Treefrog’s Back – Photo: L. Weikel
Eastern Gray Treefrog or Cope’s Gray Treefrog
If it were up to me, I would say the one we encountered was a Cope’s Gray Treefrog. lt looks identical to the one on the Herp ID website. However, apparently the physical characteristics of the two different kinds (Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray) are nearly identical and the only way to tell the difference is by their call.
Listening to the two calls at the bottom of the page for each description, I definitely recognize that of the Eastern Gray. The Cope’s not so much.
For what it’s worth, I submitted my photos to the site for confirmation. I’ve not yet heard back from them, but I’ll bet they’ll identify it as an Eastern Gray.
Either way – s/he was a beauty, and I’m grateful we had a chance to encounter each other.
Treefrog Ham – Photo: L. Weikel
(T-176)