Dryophytes chrysoscelis
Silhouette: Robbi Bishop-Taylor · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Cope's gray treefrog (Dryophytes chrysoscelis) is a species of treefrog found in the United States and Canada. It is almost indistinguishable from the gray treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor), and shares much of its geographic range. Both species are variable in color, mottled gray to gray-green, resembling the bark of trees. These are treefrogs of woodland habitats, though they will sometimes travel into more open areas to reach a breeding pond. The only readily noticeable difference between the two species is the mating call — Cope's has a faster-paced and slightly higher-pitched call than D. versicolor. In addition, D. chrysoscelis is reported to be slightly smaller, more arboreal, and more tolerant of dry conditions than D. versicolor.
Edward Drinker Cope described the species in 1880. The specific name, chrysoscelis, is from Greek chrysos, gold, and scelis, leg. Microscopic inspection of the chromosomes of D. chrysoscelis and D. versicolor reveals differences in chromosome number. D. chrysoscelis is diploid, having two complete sets of chromosomes, the usual condition in vertebrates. D. versicolor is tetraploid, having double the usual number of chromosomes. Generally... Wikipedia →
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United States · 2016
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United States · 2026
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United States · 2026
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | The Maryland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zoo Atlanta | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Virginia Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | South Carolina Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Tennessee Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Cope's Gray Tree Frog sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 65 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 36 amphibians we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Cope's Gray Tree Frog in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cope's Gray Tree Frog sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Cope's Gray Tree Frog sightings, Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Congaree National Park (United States, about 30%).
Same family: Hylidae
The closest relatives of the Cope's Gray Tree Frog that you can see in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (family Hylidae, Hylid Tree Frogs) are Spring Peeper (about 10%) and Upland Chorus Frog (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cope's Gray Tree Frog is recorded against all the amphibians logged in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (65 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.
