Hyla gratiosa
Encyclopedia
The barking tree frog (Hyla gratiosa) is a tree frog, 5 to 7 centimeters long, and variable in color but easily recognizable due to the characteristic dark round markings on its dorsum. Individuals may be bright or dull green, brown, yellowish, or gray in color. It has prominent round toe pads and the male has a large vocal sac
. It is the largest native
tree frog in the United States
, where it is found from North Carolina
to south Florida
and eastern Louisiana
, usually in coastal areas. The frog is known for its loud, strident barking call. It may also utter a repetitive single-syllable mating call. It has been known to chorus with other frogs of the same and similar species.
The barking tree frog burrows in the sand, especially when the temperature is hot. It also spends time high up in trees, especially during the day when it is less active. It breeds in shallow pools or ponds from March to August. It is a polygynous
species, the female choosing the male on the basis of his call. Tadpole
s can be nearly 5 centimetres (2 in) in length.
Vocal sac
The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call...
. It is the largest native
Indigenous (ecology)
In biogeography, a species is defined as native to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention. Every natural organism has its own natural range of distribution in which it is regarded as native...
tree frog in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where it is found from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to south Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and eastern Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, usually in coastal areas. The frog is known for its loud, strident barking call. It may also utter a repetitive single-syllable mating call. It has been known to chorus with other frogs of the same and similar species.
The barking tree frog burrows in the sand, especially when the temperature is hot. It also spends time high up in trees, especially during the day when it is less active. It breeds in shallow pools or ponds from March to August. It is a polygynous
Polygyny
Polygyny is a form of marriage in which a man has two or more wives at the same time. In countries where the practice is illegal, the man is referred to as a bigamist or a polygamist...
species, the female choosing the male on the basis of his call. Tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s can be nearly 5 centimetres (2 in) in length.