Gray Treefrog

Having spent a lot of time along the shoreline of Lac Seul I arrogantly considered myself quite knowledgeable of the species that lived nearby.  This was especially true regarding the leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) that I chased and caught as a kid down at one of the local ponds on more than one occasion.  For many years I thought that this was the only type of frog that lived in “my” stretch of the woods.  Lo and behold in July of 2012, I encountered an unusual looking “toad” with large toe pads sitting on my dock.  I was intrigued and grabbed my camera to take a few pictures.  Then I did some research and discovered that the amphibious critter was not a toad at all but was instead a Gray Treefrog.

The Grey Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) is one of the seven tree frog species found in Canada.  It has large toe pads that function like suction-cups that facilitate its ability to grip the bark and branches of trees.  This species is a true “tree-frog” in that it will climb to the top of even the tallest tree.  The Gray Treefrog has wrinkly (warty) skin that can be grey, brown or green with the chameleon-like ability to change colour between these three shades.  It has a light coloured spot with a darker border patch beneath each eye.  They are insectivores as tadpoles but become carnivorous as adults eating worms and spiders along with insects.

Outside of their breeding season, Gray Treefrogs are elusive and seldom seen but may be found in different tree and shrub habitats located near a permanent source of water.  This may explain why in 2016 I had another Gray Treefrog sighting down at the lake on the back deck of my houseboat.  Although this time it was bright green in colour showing off its ability to change colour.