Photo by Jake Zadik
Latin Name: Hyla avivoca
Species: Amphibian
Conservation Status: S3 - Vulnerable
Bird-voiced treefrogs vary in color depending on temperature, moisture, activity, and the color of the surface they’re on. They have a green or gray body and a light gray or silver underside. They have a distinct green square under their eyes and green on the concealed portion of their hind legs. These characteristics help distinguish them from the larger Cope’s gray treefrog which has orange on their hind legs. Adult bird-voiced treefrogs range from 1 ⅛ to 1 ¾ inch, and females are larger than males. Like many other treefrogs, they have large, sticky toes that act as adhesive.
Range & Habitat (map)
Bird-voiced treefrogs have a relatively small range that extends from the lowcountry of South Carolina into the Florida panhandle and westward into Mississippi. They inhabit wooded wetlands such as bald cypress, tupelo, and buttonbush swamps near rivers and streams.
Diet
Bird-voiced treefrogs are nocturnal, eating arboreal (tree dwelling) insects such as ants and beetles.
Life History
Bird-voiced treefrogs live up to four years, and they remain mosty solitary aside from breeding season. In late spring and summer, males perch in trees and repeat high-pitched, whistle-like calls to females below. Females lay 400-800 eggs in the swamp where tadpoles hatch in two days and metamorphosize into frogs in 30 days.
Significance
Bird-voiced treefrogs are important in the food chain, as they prey on insects and provide food for birds and aquatic snakes. In addition, amphibians are sensitive to water quality conditions, so the presence of a healthy frog population is a sign of a clean, healthy wetland.
Threats & How You Can Help
The main threats these treefrogs face are the destruction and alteration of the cypress and tupelo swamps they inhabit, so it is important to protect and conserve these wooded wetland ecosystems.