Maybe it is the warm weather so soon after cold nights, but there have been numerous Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) sightings around the boardwalk at the Audubon Center at Francis Beidler Forest.
These images are but a sample of the individual frogs spotted in the last two days. The bright green frogs are not often seen on green-colored objects. This seems counter to teachings contained in the Camouflage in Nature 101 textbook that is required reading for all animals not toxic enough to deter predators. We have not found any literature describing toxicity of Green Treefrogs, but maybe they don't taste good and can afford to be a highly-visible green spot on a gray branch. The main threat to the Green Treefrog appears to be the non-native Cuban Treefrog, which not only competes for resources, but actually preys on other frogs like the Green Treefrog.
Images by Mark Musselman
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