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Amphibians
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As a general rule, frogs
make pretty good pets. Many are small, attractive, and easy
to
care for, given the proper environment. Among these are two
treefrogs, the green treefrog and the gray treefrog, both of which
belong to the genus Hyla and are native to the
United States.
In my opinion, they are every bit as colorful and interesting
as
more "exotic" frog species. The green treefrog prefers swamps, areas near lakes and streams, and other areas with abundant moisture; it occurs naturally throughout much of the south and southeast United States and in an isolated population in central Missouri. I have two of these frogs and they are very different in coloration. The one pictured above is green or yellow green; the other is more of a bluish-green. Neither has a well-pronounced white line along the side, which is seen in many specimens of green treefrogs. Both seem to be males, as I've heard each of them calling on occasion. It's surprising how much noise these relatively small frogs (approximately 2" long) can produce. The gray treefrog tends to frequent trees and shrubs near bodies of water; it occurs throughout most of the eastern United States (east of a line roughly passing through the eastern parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas). There are a couple different species of gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor and Hyla chrysoscelis. They look the same, but can be distinguished by their different calls. I also have two gray treefrogs, and the two individuals are easy to tell apart because one is much larger than the other. As the photo above suggests, there is individual variation in the color and patterning of these frogs, too. I'm not sure to which species these pertain. Since both of these species occur in the southeast United States and their habitat requirements are similar, I keep these treefrogs in the same aquarium as my green anoles; they seem to get along perfectly well. These frogs have "suction cup" toe pads similar to the toe pads present in anoles, so they can also climb pretty much any surface with ease. Because of this, I make sure to always have a tightly fitting, secure lid on the enclosure. For a more detailed of the enclosure I keep them in, visit my green anole page. As with my other amphibians, I feed my treefrogs a varied diet of live invertebrates including small crickets, cockroaches, and earthworms. |
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This
page was last updated on December 12, 2006.
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