Squirrel Treefrog
Scientific name: Hyla squirella
These slender green frogs are one of the most common found in Florida. They’re also fairly integrated into urban environments, so these nocturnal frogs can be easily found around homes and buildings at night, feeding on insects attracted to lights.
Appearance
Small, slender and smooth, usually 1 to 1.5 inches long. They are often green but can be tan, gray or brown and can even have mild splotches. Sometimes their sides have a light stripe, and when they are green, they usually have a yellow upper lip. They look very similar to the Green treefrog.
Behavior
Squirrel treefrogs live in a variety of habitats, from hardwood hammocks to floodplain swamps, and they are comfortable in urban areas around homes and buildings. At night they climb into bushes and trees (or on houses around light fixtures), and during the day they gather in groups under loose bark or in holes. During periods of rain, they migrate downhill toward temporary or shallow bodies of water to mate and reproduce.
Sound
Squirrel Treefrog
Squirrel Treefrog Chorus
Food
Insectivores. They eat mainly spiders, termites, beetles and other small insects.
Habitat & Range
- Mainly the southeastern United States (west into Texas and north into Virginia)
- Florida: Statewide. Native.
- They are arboreal, which means they climb and live up in vegetation, but they are also urbanized and common around buildings.
Notable
These social frogs are known to hibernate in large groups under loose bark or in hollow trees. They’ve adapted to suburban living so they’re also found in towns and cities throughout Florida, and they’re commonly found in unexpected places.