American green tree frog

American green tree frog
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Dryophytes
Species:
D. cinereus
Binomial name
Dryophytes cinereus
(Schneider, 1799)
Approximate range
Synonyms
  • Calamita cinereus Schneider, 1799
  • Hyla viridis Holbrook, 1842
  • Hyla carolinensis Cope, 1889
  • Hyla cinerea Garman, 1890

The American green tree frog (Dryophytes cinereus or Hyla cinerea) is a common arboreal species of New World tree frog belonging to the family Hylidae. This nocturnal insectivore is moderately sized and has a bright green to reddish-brown coloration. Commonly found in the central and southeastern United States, the frog lives in open canopy forests with permanent water sources and abundant vegetation. When defending its territory, the frog either emits aggressive call signals or resolves to grapple with intruders, seldom leading to injury or death. To avoid predation, the frog will leap into the water or jump into the treetops.

Females green tree frogs are larger than males. Pairs breed through amplexus. Males emit low frequency advertisement calls to attract females. During mating competition, males will eavesdrop on neighboring rivals and either adjust their signal timing or remain silent to intercept call signals and mate with approaching females. Androgens energize males to vocalize.

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