A Gray Tree Frog gets the Boot

Several days ago as we were coming in from a morning stretch of work, AJ and I were startled to discover a grey tree frog sitting calmly on our concrete porch as if awaiting our arrival. Now I can understand why astonishment night not be the expected response but once you learn a bit more about the grey tree frog ( Hyla versicolor ), perhaps you’ll understand. This amphibian whose range spans much of the United States spends nearly all its life in the high tree tops. They are nocturnal and catch insects in the moonlight by lunging at them through the foliage. They are also able to change color in seconds within a range from grey to green.

I’m not sure how exactly this fella found himself on our porch. There aren’t any large trees bordering it, nor even any shrubs. I guess the cool temperature of the concrete, relatively speaking, might have been a pleasant relief from the heat of the exposure around the porch but why he was even nearby remains a mystery. Regardless, after I got close enough for a good look, he hopped onto one of AJ’s work boots, climbed up to the rim and ultimately ducked inside, settling deep in the toe for most of the day. By early evening he was gone. Read more about the grey tree frog here, particularly interesting is its ability to survive the winter as a frozen, unbreathing amphibian ice-cube. Feel free to come by for a visit, too, but don’t expect to see a tree frog unless you leave your boots by the door.