Wednesday, October 2, 2019
grey tree frogs :: essays research papers
Hyla versicolor, commonly know as the Gray Tree Frog or the Eastern Gray Tree Frog, is an amphibian that is referred to as the â€Å"Chameleon of the Frog world†(Craighead, 2004, p.1) because of its ability to change colors. â€Å"This frog was once thought to be the same species as the Cope’s Gray Tree Frog†. They can only be distinguished by their calls and the fact that the Cope Gray Tree Frog is diploid while the Gray Tree Frog is tetraploid (NPWRC, 2004). The Gray Tree Frog is classified as follows:      Kingdom: Animalia      Phylum: Chordata           Class: Lissamphibia           Order: Anura                Family: Hylidae Genus: Hyla                Species: H. versicolor      The Grey Tree Frog is about two inches in length. Its head is short and broad and its body corpulent (Dickerson, 1969). With a white belly, white rectangular spot under both of its eyes, yellowish orange markings on the inside of the hide legs and black blotches including one that looks like an irregular shaped star on its back this frog is very colorful and exotic looking. Depending on the environment and the stress level of the frog, its colors may change (Centralpets.com, 2004). H. versicolor may actually be any shade of brown, grey, green, or even light yellow or white. The temperature and the intensity of light also affect the frog’s colors. When there is bright light and a higher temperature perhaps it will be a yellowish white with almost no markings. When it’s dark and moist it may be a dark stone gray with dark markings (Dickerson, 1969). The frog’s back is usually textured with coarse tubercles. Its fingers are thinly webbed while the hind foot is more developed. Large disks exist on the fingers and toes to assist with climbing and sticking to objects (Dickerson, 1969). The male and female Grey Tree Frogs are very similar. They are distinguished by the male having a dark underside of his throat. Also the females ears are smaller then the males (Dickerson, 1969). The Gray Tree Frog can be found anywhere ranging from southern Ontario in Canada to the southern coast in the United States. Usually it is not found west of Texas or Manitoba, Canada. The can be found at Rice Creek Field Station. The best habitat is shallow water situated close to diverse stands of willows, oaks, and pines (Craighead, 2004, p. 2). The location of water and plenty of vegetation, which not only shades the forest but also covers the ground with broken brushwood, is what needed for the frog’s ultimate survival is.
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