Photo by Jake Zadik
Latin Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Species: Amphibian
Conservation Status: S4-5 - Secure
Cope’s gray treefrogs vary in color from mottled gray to green, and they typically measure 1 ¼ to 2 inches in length. Their yellow-orange legs distinguish them from similar species like the Bird-voiced treefrog.
Range & Habitat (map)
Excluding the Florida penninsula, Cope’s gray treefrogs inhabit the entire southeastern United States. Their range stretches as far northwest as Manitoba, Canada and as far southeast as Texas. They prefer to inhabit mature, old-growth, hardwood forests.
Diet
Cope’s gray treefrogs are nocturnal hunters, eating arboreal (tree-dwelling) insects such as moths, beetles, crickets, and ants.
Life History
Cope’s gray treefrogs can live anywhere from 2 ½ to 7 years. During the rainy season, March through August, they gather around puddles that fill ephemeral (formed by rain) wetlands. Males perch on vegetation and call to females with a croaky trill. Females lay 1,000 to 2,000 eggs in the puddles, tadpoles hatch in four to five days, and they metamorphosize into frogs in two months.
Significance
Cope’s gray treefrogs are excellent indicators of ecosystem health, as they depend on water quality throughout their life cycle. They also play a role in the food chain, controlling insect populations and serving as a food source for other wildlife. For example, diving beetles and dragonfly nymphs eat eggs and tadpoles, and birds and aquatic snakes eat frogs.
Threats & How You Can Help
The loss of hardwood woodlands and ephemeral wetlands, pesticide pollution, and chytrid fungus—a lethal fungal infection affecting amphibians—are the main threats faced by Cope’s gray treefrogs. Habitat conservation and water quality monitoring are important initiatives that can protect this species. To provide a habitat for Cope’s gray treefrogs in your own backyard, consider leaving dead trees and plant material where they are (when it’s safe to do so).
Additional Info
Interestingly, Cope’s gray tree frogs are known to freeze and go dormant during the winter. They are able to survive by producing excess sugars (glycerol) within their cells before the cold sets in. These sugars work as “antifreeze” for their cells if their heart stops and their blood freezes. This prevents ice crystals from rupturing or ripping apart their cells.
Additional Resources
Learn more about chytrid fungus (Chytridiomycosis) which affects Cope’s gray treefrogs and other amphibians with this fact sheet:
https://parcplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/WFP-Fact-Sheet%E2%80%93Bd-Chytridiomycosis_3.pdf