Pennsylvania is home to many tree frogs, and many people don’t even know that. From now on you can think of this place as a rich habitat of 6 colorful & tough tree frogs. This tiny critter plays a crucial role in the ecosystem of Pennsylvania.
In Pennsylvania you will find Northern cricket frog, Spring peeper, Gray tree frog, Mountain chorus frog, and Upland chorus frog.
In this short blog, you will see the range, habitat, breeding season, calling sound, lifespan, size, and skin color of this squishy frog.
So without cutting any more time let’s see them below!
1. Northern cricket frog
They are famous for their calling sound which is almost similar to the cricket sound. Due to their nature, they like to stay close to rich vegetation zones.
Spreading over a massive area of Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas, South Dacota, and Allapachian; they have a stable population in these states.
Though small in size, their defense mechanism is awesome. Using their strong leg muscle these tiny critters can jump up to 3 feet which help them to dodge their hunters like a pro. Adding to that, they are also good swimmers.
The skin color of this tree frog is either green, black, brown, gray, or yellow. Their back skin has irregular dark spots. Their small size of 1.5’’ doesn’t mean their food list is short. These aggressive hunters eat a large number of mosquitos, flies, termites, ants, and beetles.
Due to their terrestrial nature, Northern cricket frogs spend most of their time on the forest floor. The natural habitat of this species includes the edge of marshes, shallow water bodies, slow streams, sunny marshes, farm ponds, etc.
Regarding lifespan, they have an average lifespan of 1 year and hit sexual maturity before getting 1 year old. The breeding season of these amphibians starts in June and continues until August. Each female can lay up to around 400 eggs after mating with one male.
2. Spring peeper
This nocturnal animal is a pretty-looking species that can be seen in versatile color shades like gray, brown, reddish, green, tan, or oink. Alike other tree frog members they live on eating up a bunch of beetles, ants, moths, spiders, and flies.
Plus, their eating time can be early morning, late afternoon, or early evening. Predator like salamanders, owls, large spiders, etc kills them for a living. In Pennsylvania, they are the least concerned frogs although in states like Kansas they are threatened.
Compared to other tree frogs, they get a fairly long lifespan with an average of 3-4 years old in wild. These tiny frogs’ daily travel range is around 20-130 feet. Adding to that, this slender frog can grow up to 1.5″.
On top of that, the gluey toe pad, tiny body size & light body weight makes them mind-boggling climber. Due to their outstanding climbing ability, they become a hard target for predators.
Moreover, this tree frog spends a long time resting high on tree branches. They breed in April-June and the male emits a loud beeping trill to get the attention of the female. Around 1 year of age, both males & females hit sexual maturity.
In addition to that, the distinction between male & female is clear, where the daddy frog is darker & small. While the mommy frog has a light skin tone & big size.
Unlike many other amphibians, the winter does not stop them from going on. Their excellent hibernation ability provides immense support to pass the winter swiftly.
3. Gray tree frog
Listed as the least concern, the Gray tree frog has a substantial population in many states of the USA. This wonderful creature is built to survive the hot summer & spine-chilling winter.
Along with Pennsylvania, they are heavily found in Wisconsin, Kansa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, etc. During daylight, they appear dark in color while at night they become lighter in color.
This tree frog is also available in a big part of the eastern USA like Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas, Kansas, Wisconsin, Florida, etc. They are blessed with an amazing capability to survive the mid-level summer, the freezing cold & the snowy weather.
Regarding natural habitat, they prefer areas like wooded zone close to swamps, agricultural land, and mountain streams. One of the amazing attributes of this frog is it changes its skin color to a brown shade when takes rest or shelter under tree roots, tree holes, and leaf litter.
These squishy amphibians hit their sexual maturity when they are 2 years old. When it comes to longevity, these species have a 7-9 years average lifespan in the wild.
From the beginning of the Spring to the end of Summer, they engage in mating activity. And in this whole time, the male tries to attract as many female frogs for breeding purposes. The Male’s high pitch, fast & flutey trill immediately attracts the female.
If you look at other Hylidae members, the Gray tree frog would be one of the largest with a 2.25″ size. This fast & intelligent eater lives on feeding small invertebrates, spiders, slugs, snails and mites, etc.
4. Mountain chorus frog
The mountain chorus frog is a frog native to the mountains of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, etc. It is common in moist, near-coastal areas at elevations up to 3,500 feet.
Plus, the natural habitat of this species includes roadside ditches, mountain bogs, woodland springs, temperate forests, swamps, etc.
After the breeding season, winter appears and before that, they go to hillsides to enter into hibernation mood to safely pass the tough cold atmosphare.
Moreover, the average lifespan of a mountain chorus frog is 4-5 years and they live more in captivity. The breeding season of this mountain species stays from April to the end of May.
Also. the mountain chorus frog has special adaptations for living in its particular habitat. Its skin color allows it to blend into its surroundings which helps it avoid predators.
Mountain chorus frogs’ skin tends to be brown, olive, gray, and greenish-brown. They have dark blotches on their back. This tiny smooth skin critter can grow up to 1.25’’ long. Their defense technique is to stay in dense vegetation areas to stay out of the sight of a potential predator.
Their diet is packed with insects such as ants, beetles, flies, moths, grasshoppers, and crickets. They also eat small slugs or snails if they find them in their environment.
5. Western chorus frog
This species got its name changed recently, it was called the Western chorus Frog & now known as the Midland chorus frog.
They always want to stay in a temperate zone that’s covered with a high amount of vegetation. It also boosts their physical growth & provides them comfort. These species inhabit a wide range of habitats, including roadside ditches, marshes, agricultural land, grassy pools, bogs, sub-urban areas, meadows, and riparian areas.
Plus, the brown, gray, greenish-gray, olive, and reddish colors give them the natural advantage to become less noticeable on their natural chilling ground. If they get access to abundant food resources, then they will reach up to 1.5″.
Their food list is filled up with springtails, ants, snails, caterpillars, and beetles. These nocturnal guys start food searching at night. Just like they consume a lot of insects they become food for many predators like raccoons, mink, salamanders, snakes, crayfish, etc.
Moreover, passing the icy winter without many headaches is not tough for them as they go for hibernation under the tree log or beneath the ground.
The male calls out for the female by emitting a loud repeated sound. From March-June, this critter enjoys the company of the opposite gender. At the post-mating time, the female lays close to 1400 eggs in a single season. Luckily a good percentage of these eggs turns into adult Western chorus frog.
Generally, this frog survives around 1 year while few can make a 3+ year journey in the wild. Adding to that, at the age of 1 year, the male becomes sexually mature & within 1-2 years the female gets ready for the reproduction process.
6. Upland chorus frog
These little amphibians are the dwellers of Pennsylvania, Alabama, Florida, and the southeastern portion of the USA. Size can be lower around 0.7″ and highest up to 1.5″.
It’s easy to detect the male & female due to their physical attributes. The male has a large size vocal sac which is missing in the female. Regarding skin marks, a dark long stripe goes through their nostril to the eye to the side of their body.
This tree frog loves to live in moisture-loaded areas like marshes, water bodies, ponds, meadows, etc. Along with that, these species also like to wander in woodland zones.
Right from the beginning of November to March, the upland chorus frog continues their breeding journey. The male calls out by making a high-pitched sound that resembles a fingernail running over a comb.
It’s a rare event to see this amphibian in broad daylight. Nighttime is their hunting & feeding time. They consume a good diet that’s packed with multiple insects, spiders, beetles, snails, etc.
Furthermore, the gray, dark brown, greenish-brown, tan, and reddish-brown skin color of this critter works as an amazing camouflage. They literally get lost in the vision of the predator. Although they are a Hylidae member, they spend maximum time on moist leafy ground.
Final words
Tree frogs have been a key player in the ecosystem of Pennsylvania state. If you didn’t notice these tiny neighbors, from now on, it would be a new experience to see them roaming around their habitat close to marsh & swamps.
It was a pleasure to tell you about the tree frog in Pennsylvania, I hope you got a good idea.
