Canyon Tree Frog

Canyon Tree Frog

Dryophytes arenicolor

Silhouette: Robbi Bishop-Taylor · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Big Bend National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

16 Verified sightings at Big Bend National Park From 2019 to 2026
568 In all 4 parks
August Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Canyon Tree Frog

The canyon tree frog (Dryophytes arenicolor) is a species of tree frog native to the rocky plateau areas of southern United States, primarily in New Mexico and Arizona, but it also ranges to Utah, Texas, and Colorado, and as far south as the Mexican states of Michoacán, México, Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Oaxaca.

Canyon tree frogs grow to 5.0–5.5 cm (2.0–2.2 in) in length, and are typically brown, grey-brown, or grey-green in color, often with darker-colored blotching. They can vary considerably, but usually match the soil or rock coloration of their native habitats to serve as camouflage. Those from limestone habitats are lighter colored, and those from regions composed mostly of granite can even be pink in coloration. Most have bright yellow in their groin regions, and faded banding on their legs.

Canyon tree frogs are mostly nocturnal and carnivorous. They are typically found in semiarid, rocky habitats near a permanent water source. Breeding occurs during the spring rains, and large, floating egg masses of 100 or more eggs are laid on the water. During periods of low rainfall, the frogs will take refuge in rock/bolder crevices.

Desert... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Advertisement call0:29

United States · 2015

© Chris Harrison · XC890894 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:12

United States · 2026

© clarksnutcracker_limberpine_shipper · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:57

United States · 2025

© Robert Ivens · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~60%
2 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
3 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
4 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
~10%
2 Guadalajara 🇲🇽 México
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
2 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
3 El Paso Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Canyon Tree Frog in Big Bend National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Tree Frog sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 8 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Canyon Tree Frog in Big Bend National Park?

August

In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Tree Frog in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and December–March, the lowest months. That is one of Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 45 mm of rain against 10 mm in April.

What time of day is best to see a Canyon Tree Frog?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Canyon Tree Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Big Bend National Park the best place to see a Canyon Tree Frog?

4th of 4

Of the 4 parks where we can rate Canyon Tree Frog sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Zion National Park (United States, about 60%), Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 30%) and Saguaro National Park (United States, about 20%).

Where does the Canyon Tree Frog sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Canyon Tree Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Big Bend National Park (16 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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