Gray Treefrog

Description:

These two gray treefrogs were found in amplexus (mating) on the edge of a scour hole in western Iowa. While in amplexus, males fertilize the eggs as they are being laid.

Habitat:

Cope's gray treefrogs are reported to prefer more open habitats such as prairies, open grasslands, and oak savannahs. Eastern gray treefrogs are reported to prefer more wooded habitats. Both species may be found together in forest edges and at night around lighted buildings in towns.

Notes:

Both the eastern gray treefrog and the Cope's gray treefrog occur in this area. There is no morphological way of distinguishing the two in areas where they overlap. The only steadfast differences between the two species is the number of chromosomes (the Cope's gray treefrog is a diploid, the eastern gray treefrog is a tetraploid), and that the Cope's has smaller red blood cells than the eastern gray treefrog. Breeding occurs from May - July.