Dryophytes versicolor
Silhouette: Will Booker · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The gray treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor) is a species of small arboreal frog in the family Hylidae. The species is native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray treefrog, common gray treefrog, or tetraploid gray treefrog to distinguish it from its more southern, genetically distinct relative, Cope's gray treefrog.
As the specific name versicolor implies, the gray treefrog is variable in color. This ability to vary its color provides it with the ability to camouflage itself from gray to green or brown, depending on the environment around it. Dryophytes versicolor can change from nearly black to nearly white. It changes color at a slower rate than a chameleon. A unique aspect of the appearance of the gray treefrog is that its legs feature a dark band-like pattern which then contrast sharply with the black-marked bright yellow or orange under the sides of its legs and arms. Dead gray treefrogs and ones in unnatural surroundings are predominantly gray. The female does not call; however, the male does call. The female gray treefrog is usually larger than its male counterpart... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Treefrog Species Complex sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 60 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 10 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.
May and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Treefrog Species Complex in Philadelphia on a given day, against under 5% in October to March, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Gray Treefrog Species Complex 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.
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Gray Treefrog Species Complex sightings, Philadelphia ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Detroit (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Gray Treefrog Species Complex is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Philadelphia (60 verified sightings), 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.
