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European tree frog

European tree frog

Hyla arborea

Facts & Profile
European tree frog Hyla arborea

The European tree frog (Hyla arborea) is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa, but based on molecular genetic and other data several populations formerly included in it are now recognized as separate species (for example, H. intermedia of Italy and nearby, H. molleri of the Iberian Peninsula, H. meridionalis of parts of southwestern Europe and northern Africa, and H. orientalis of parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions), limiting the true European tree frog to Europe from France to Poland and Greece.

Description & appearance

European tree frogs are small; males range from 32–43 mm (1.3–1.7 in) in length, and females range from 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) in length. They are slender, with long legs. Their dorsal skin is smooth, while their ventral skin is granular. Their dorsal skin can be green, gray, or tan depending on the temperature, humidity, or their mood.
Their ventral skin is a whitish color, and the dorsal and ventral skin is separated by a dark brown lateral stripe from the eyes to the groin. Females have white throats, while males have golden brown throats with large (folded) vocal sacs. The head of H. arborea is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the pupil has the shape of a horizontal ellipse, and the tympanum is clearly recognizable. The discs on the frog's toes, which it uses to climb trees and hedges, is a characteristic feature of H. arborea . Like other frogs, their hind legs are much larger and stronger than the fore legs, enabling the frogs to jump rapidly.

Historically, tree frogs were used as barometers because they respond to approaching rain by croaking.
Depending on subspecies, temperature, humidity, and the frog's 'mood', skin colour ranges from bright to olive green, grey, brown and yellow. They hibernate in walls, cellars, under rocks, under clumps of vegetation, or buried in leaf piles or manure piles.

Distribution & habitat

Members of the H. arborea species complex are the only representatives of the widespread tree frog family (Hylidae) indigenous to mainland Europe. and are found across most of Europe (except Ireland), northwest Africa, and temperate Asia to Japan. This species complex is native to these countries:

Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; the Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Israel (found in the Ayalon Valley); Italy; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; the Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine.

It has also been introduced to the United Kingdom, (although at least one British population, now thought to be extinct, may have been native ), and it has been reintroduced to Latvia.

European tree frogs can be found in marshlands, damp meadows, reed beds, parks, gardens, vineyards, orchards, stream banks, lakeshores, or humid or dry forests. They tend to avoid dark or thick forests, and they are able to tolerate some periods of dryness; therefore, sometimes they are found in dry habitats.

Food

European tree frogs eat a variety of small arthropods, such as spiders, flies, beetles, butterflies, and smooth caterpillars. Their ability to take long leaps allow them to catch fast-flying insects, which make up most of their diets.

Mating & reproduction

European tree frogs reproduce in stagnant bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, swamps, reservoirs, and sometimes puddles, from late March to June. They croak in the breeding season, even when migrating to their mating pools or ponds. Males will often change breeding ponds, even within the same breeding season. After a spring rain, the males will call females from low vegetation or shallow ponds. About 800 to 1000 eggs are laid in clumps the size of a walnut. Individual eggs are about 1.5 mm in diameter. After 10–14 days, the eggs hatch. Then, after three months, tadpoles metamorphose into frogs. Metamorphosis usually peaks from late July to early August. They are able to live for up to 15 years.

Important Note:

This text is based on the article European tree frog from the free encyclopedia Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA 3.0 Unported (short version). A list of the authors is available on Wikipedia.