Like other frog eggs, Gray tree frog eggs do not have a hard outer shell to protect the developing embryos. Rather, each egg has a jelly coat.

This jelly coat absorbs UV-B some radiation, and also indirectly protects the eggs by virtue of its sticky texture and its tendency to accumulate a covering of pond debris.

Learning about Gray tree frog eggs is great to add to your knowledge and feed your curiosity. Read on to find out everything you need to know about Gray tree frog eggs including some really interesting facts, as well as how to easily identify them.

When Do Gray Tree Frogs Lay Their Eggs?

Gray tree frogs begin their breeding season in late April to early May, depending on latitude throughout their range, and will keep breeding through August.

These frogs emerge from their hibernation in the early months of spring. However, they do not begin their breeding season until the evening air temperature rises above 59°F (15°C).

Where Do Gray Tree Frog Lay Their Eggs?

Gray tree frogs generally lay their eggs in shallow, standing, or slow-moving, temporary freshwater bodies that are free of predatory fish.

Breeding sites include woodland ponds, flooded fields, seasonal pools, temporary rain puddles, flooded ditches, open marshes, swamps, and other wetlands.

They have also been known to lay eggs in backyard swimming pools, and even deep tire ruts filled with rainwater.

Gray tree frogs show a strong preference for temporary water bodies in which to lay their eggs – due to the absence of fish.

How Do Gray Tree Frogs Lay Their Eggs?

Male Gray tree frogs arrive first at breeding sites and will gather in trees and bushes next to breeding ponds and begin calling for mates.

Breeding males are very territorial, and will aggressively defend their territory from intruders.

Female Gray tree frogs arrive at the breeding sites a few days after the males.

Once at the breeding sites, the females will choose their mates depending on individual characteristics of the males’ calls – and head towards the calls of particular males.

The male then grasps her behind her forelimbs in a tight mating embrace called ‘amplexus’.

Once in the amplexus embrace, the pair will swim around as the female chooses a site to lay her eggs. The female then lays her eggs, and the male releases sperm into the water, to fertilize the eggs as the female lays them.

Eggs are laid on the surface of the water and are usually attached to vegetation to keep them from floating away.

How Many Eggs Do Gray Tree Frogs Lay?

A single female Gray tree frog can lay 1,000 – 2,000 eggs at a time. The eggs are laid in packets of 10 to 40 eggs.

The energetic cost of producing multiple clutches appears to be high for Gray tree frogs.

For this reason, the majority of females will only lay one clutch of eggs each breeding season.

Females that lay multiple clutches or a late initial clutch may not be able to lay early the following year.

Why Do Gray Tree Frogs Lay So Many Eggs?

Gray tree frogs, like other frogs, lay large numbers of eggs as a natural way to counter the extremely high mortality rates they experience in their early life stages.

Gray tree frogs leave their eggs shortly after laying them. This means the eggs (and tadpoles) are vulnerable to predators, and environmental conditions – leading to very low survival rates.

Of the tadpoles that hatch, there will be intense competition for food and limited resources, meaning again the number of tadpoles will naturally thin out.

When the froglets leave the water, only a few will live to adulthood and reproduce – which can be as low as 1%. The rest will get eaten by predators such as birds, snakes, larger frogs, and small mammals such as foxes.

What Do Gray Tree Frog Eggs Look Like?

Gray tree frog eggs are small and soft-shelled eggs, arranged in packets on the surface of the water.

Oftentimes, they are generally really close to, or loosely attached to debris, branches, or emergent vegetation

Each egg is dark brown on the top and a yellowish cream color on the bottom, and is surrounded by a protective gelatinous mass.

This jelly enables the eggs to float near the surface of the water, where it is warmer and there is more oxygen.

The jelly also holds the eggs together and protects the developing embryos from the elements by virtue of its sticky texture and its tendency to accumulate a covering of pond debris.

In addition, it acts as a “shock absorber” to prevent injury to the egg from the water movement.

As the embryos develop, Gray tree egg masses will deteriorate and flatten to the point where individual eggs are no longer identifiable from the rest of the floating raft.

How Long Do Gray Tree Frog Eggs Take To Hatch?

Gray tree frog eggs take about 3 to 7 days to hatch, depending on the environmental conditions.

The eggs will typically develop and hatch faster in warmer temperatures and slower in colder temperatures.

What Do Gray Tree Frog Tadpoles Look Like?

Gray tree frog tadpoles have rounded bodies with high, wide tail fins.

They have inconsistent coloring, which may include different shades of brown or olive green.

The body and tail are patterned with many specks of black and gold – and black blotches may be present around the edge of the tail.

Interestingly, gray tree frog tadpoles can develop a bright red coloration on their tail when they are exposed to predators such as dragonfly larvae.

The ability of a single genotype to develop alternative traits in different environments is known as “phenotypic plasticity.

Studies suggest the red pigments in the tail may help to misdirect predator attacks.

Gray tree frog tadpoles will complete their development into frogs about 45 to 65 days after they hatch.

Do Gray Tree Frogs Care For Their Tadpoles?

Gray tree frogs do not attend to their tadpoles or care for them in any way.

Once mating and egg-laying are complete, both the males and females will leave the pond, only returning the next breeding season.

What Animals Prey on Gray Tree Frog Eggs and Tadpoles?

Gray tree frog eggs are preyed on by many animals including newts, turtles, leeches, dragonfly larvae, diving beetles, and other large water bugs.

Once the tadpoles hatch, they are preyed on by

• Fish (if present in the pond)
• Dragonfly naiads
• Giant water bugs
• Larger amphibian larvae, such as tiger salamander (Ambystomma tigrinum) larvae.
• Newts and salamanders
• Some adult frogs, such as American Bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeiana)
• Turtles
• Water snakes
• Wading birds, such as herons (Ardeidae)

What to Do if You Find Gray Tree Frog Eggs

If you live near a wooded area, especially near a pond, or another freshwater body there’s a chance of encountering Gray tree frog eggs in the spring. If this happens, be sure to avoid disturbing the eggs.

Disturbing or removing the eggs from the water could damage them, or even kill the tiny embryos developing inside the eggs.

If you find Gray tree frog eggs out of the water, it is best to leave them alone, especially if they are very near the water.

However, if you find frog eggs that were disturbed (by a human or animal) and taken out of the water, you could try to put them back in the water.

If the egg mass is still attached to a stick, very gently put the stick back in the water (just a few inches below the surface).

Still, the eggs are not guaranteed to hatch because the disturbance may have damaged them or killed the embryos developing inside.

Of course, there’s no harm in observing frog eggs from a distance.

Featured image credit: cotinis (CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED)

Sources:

Ritke, M. E., Babb, J. G., & Ritke, M. K. (1990). Life History of the Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) in Western Tennessee. Journal of Herpetology, 24(2), 135–141. https://doi.org/10.2307/1564220

Harding, 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.

McCollum, S. A., & Van Buskirk, J. (1996). Costs and Benefits of a Predator-Induced Polyphenism in the Gray Treefrog Hyla Chrysoscelis. Evolution, 50(2), 583–593. https://doi.org/10.2307/2410833

AmphibiaWeb. Hyla versicolor Eastern Gray Treefrog. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Virginia Herpetological Society. Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor.

Ezra Mushala

Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.

snakeinformer.com

The post Everything You Need To Know About Gray Tree Frog Eggs first appeared on Snake Informer.

Gray tree frogs can change color depending on the temperature, light, or the color of their surroundings. They may appear gray to match the bark of a tree, or green to blend in with leaves – and tend to become darker when their environment is cold or dark.

In general, gray tree frogs range in color from a mottled grayish green or solid green to a gray or creamy white color.

That said, it’s important to note that gray tree frogs don’t change color as fast as a chameleon. However, the color change is still fast enough to keep these frogs camouflaged and hidden from predators.

Gray Tree Frog Tadpoles Have Inconsistent Coloring

Gray tree frogs hatch from eggs and start their lives as tiny tadpoles that live entirely in the water. Tadpoles are very different from adult gray tree frogs. This is because they are highly adapted for their fully aquatic life.

They have gills and a flat paddle-like tail fin to help them move in the water.

Gray tree frog tadpoles have inconsistent coloring, which may include different shades of brown or olive green. The body and tail are patterned with many specks of black and gold – and black blotches may be present around the edge of the tail.

Interestingly, gray tree frog tadpoles can develop a bright red coloration on their tail when they are exposed to predators such as dragonfly larvae.

The ability of a single genotype to develop alternative traits in different environments is known as “phenotypic plasticity.

Studies suggest the red pigments in the tail may help to misdirect predator attacks.

Young Gray Tree Frogs Are Usually Bright Green

After about 1- 2 months, the tadpoles will go through a process known as metamorphosis, in which they will transform into juvenile frogs.

During metamorphosis, the thyroid gland secretes a growth hormone called thyroxine.

This hormone triggers the tadpoles to:

• Lose the gills, and develop lungs for breathing air
• Absorb the tail into the body
• Grow strong legs for moving on land
• Remodel other organs to form an adult frog

Once this process is complete, tiny gray tree frogs (approximately 0.6 inches in length) called “froglets” or “metamorphs”, will leave the water and live on land.

The newly transformed froglets are almost always bright emerald green with smooth skin, and they stay this way for some time before taking on their adult coloration.

Adult Gray Tree Frogs Have Varied Coloration

Adult gray tree frogs range to just over 2 inches long and have granular (almost warty) moist skin.

They have a light spot beneath the eye and the skin on their inner thigh is bright yellow or orange, which is most visible when the frog is jumping or moving.

Adult gray tree frogs have a varied body coloration, which may range from green to light greenish gray, gray, brown, or dark brown.

There is often a large irregular star-shaped dark splotch on the back, but this can come or go, and some individuals are uniformly whitish, light gray, or some shade of green.

That said, gray tree frogs have the ability to change color depending on activities and the environment.

A gray tree frog may be whitish to gray to blend in with tree bark, or pale green to dark green when resting on foliage. These frogs can change color dramatically in a matter of minutes, though at a slower rate than a chameleon.

Besides substrate color, other reasons a gray tree frog may change color include:

• Temperature – They tend to become darker when it is cold
• Time of day/light – They tend to become darker at night and lighter in color in warm sunny areas
• Time of year – They tend to become more greenish during the breeding season

How Do Gray Tree Frogs Change Color?

Coloration in animals is produced by reflection and scattering of light by cells and tissues and by absorption of light by chemical pigments within cells of the skin.

In ectotherms such as frogs, cells containing pigments are called chromatophores and are largely responsible for generating skin color.

In frogs, there are three main types of chromatophores:

• Xanthophores, which contain yellow-red pigments
• Iridophores containing colorless stacks of crystals or platelets that reflect and scatter light to generate hues such as blue and white
• Melanophores, which contain black melanin pigment

The melanophores play an important role in color change.

They are large, star-like cells with long “arms” that extend towards the skin’s surface.

Color change occurs due to the movement of “packets” of melanin pigment (melanosomes) within the melanophores.

When melanin pigment is clustered within the center of the cell, the skin appears very pale – and when it is dispersed through the arms of the melanophores towards the skin’s surface, the frog appears dark.

Because the arms of the melanophores extend between and over the other types of chromatophores (generating different colors), varying the degree of dispersion of the melanin can hide or reveal those chromatophores, changing the animal’s color.

Color change may happen due to various “triggers” including temperature or light. However, most importantly, gray tree frogs change color in response to their surroundings.

They need to observe their surroundings so that they know what color to change to. Information about their surroundings is then processed by the brain, and the brain sends signals to chromatophores.

Dead Gray Tree Frogs Are Almost Always Gray

Interestingly, when a gray tree frog dies, it almost always turns gray. This gray coloration is also observed in gray tree frogs in unnatural surroundings, such as in people’s homes, or resting on man-made objects.

Since gray tree frogs change their skin color using neural impulses, when one of these frogs dies, it stops sending those signals and turns to its ‘natural’ color, which is predominantly gray.

Common Questions About Gray Tree Frog Coloration

Can gray tree frogs change color? Gray tree frogs can change color depending on the temperature, light, or the color of their surroundings. They tend to be whitish to gray when resting on tree bark, and pale green to dark green when resting on foliage. These frogs also tend to become darker when their environment is cold or dark.

Conclusion

Despite their name, not all gray tree frogs are actually gray. They vary in coloration from green to light greenish gray, gray, brown, or dark brown.

However, they can change their color dramatically in a matter of minutes, based on various “triggers” including temperature, light, and the color of their surroundings.

Adult gray tree frogs generally tend to become more greenish during the breeding season.

Also, young gray tree frogs are almost always bright green right after metamorphosis and they stay this way for some time before taking on their adult coloration.

Sources:

McCollum, S. A., & Van Buskirk, J. (1996). Costs and Benefits of a Predator-Induced Polyphenism in the Gray Treefrog Hyla Chrysoscelis. Evolution, 50(2), 583–593. https://doi.org/10.2307/2410833

AmphibiaWeb. Hyla versicolor Eastern Gray Treefrog. University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Virginia Herpetological Society. Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor.

Devi Stuart-Fox (2013). How do chameleons and other creatures change color? University of Melbourne.

Mueller, L. 2006. “Hyla versicolor”, Animal Diversity Web.

Ezra Mushala

Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.

snakeinformer.com

The post Do Gray Tree Frogs Change Color? first appeared on Snake Informer.

Gray tree frogs are opportunistic predators – but they are mainly insectivores. In the wild, gray tree frogs eat worms, snails, spiders, ants, flies, moths, and a wide variety of other insects. In captivity, they can be fed earthworms, crickets, small silkworms, and other soft-bodied insects.

Gray tree frogs go through 2 main life stages and eat different food at each stage. They start their lives as tiny tadpoles that live entirely in the water. At this stage, they eat algae, plant tissue, organic debris, and some small invertebrates.

After a few months, these tadpoles will through a process known as metamorphosis, and develop into the adult-form gray tree frogs that most people are more familiar with.

At this point, they become obligate carnivores and will eat a wide variety of prey they can catch. But most of their diet will consist of bugs.

What Gray Tree Frog Tadpoles Eat in the Wild

Gray tree frogs start their lives as tiny embryos inside eggs. Their first food source for the developing embryos is the yolk of their eggs.

The yolk provides enough nutrition to sustain the developing tadpoles until they are ready to hatch into the water. This can take anywhere from about three to seven days.

After hatching, the tadpoles will have poorly developed gills, mouths, and tails – so they can not properly swim or eat yet.

For this reason, they will spend the first few days feeding on the remaining yolk of the eggs. This will provide them with enough energy to grow and develop further.

After about 4 -7 days, the tadpoles would have developed enough to start free swimming and feeding on food sources available in the water.

They will start eating:

• Algae
• Roots and leaves of aquatic plants (eg. duckweed mosses)
• Plankton
• Small animal matter

At this early stage, tadpoles have long coiled intestines that are specially designed to digest vegetable matter.

Plants contain cellulose, a compound that is very hard to digest. Because of this, plant matter needs to spend more time in the digestive system. This long intestinal tract gives tadpoles more time to break down the plant matter and absorb as many nutrients as possible.

As they grow their intestinal tract will gradually shorten, allowing the tadpoles to eat animal matter, since it is easier to digest.

They will also eat:

• Aquatic insect larvae (glass worms, mosquito larvae, etc) 
• Water striders
• Small insects that fall into the water 
• Worms
• Carcasses in the water 

Whatever they eat, they will eat constantly. They have high energy demands because they are growing very rapidly. Growing big as fast as possible is necessary for survival, as they are an easy meal for most predators.

What Juvenile Gray Tree Fogs (Froglets) Eat in the Wild

After about 4 – 8 weeks, the tadpoles will go through a process known as metamorphosis, in which they will lose their larval features, and develop features for life on land.

Once this process is complete, tiny gray tree frogs (approximately 0.6 inches in length) called “froglets” or “metamorphs”, will leave the water and live on land. The newly transformed froglets are usually bright green.

At this point, gray tree frogs become obligate carnivores, which means they stop eating plant matter and will only eat animal matter.

Their diet will shift away from aquatic prey and toward mainly terrestrial prey. However, since they are not fully grown yet, they can only eat small live prey.

Wild Juvenile gray tree frogs will eat:

• Ants, Mites
• Small worms, small slugs & snails
• Spiders, Termites, Crane flies, and other small insects. 

As they grow in size, they will be able to eat larger prey.

What Adult Gray Tree Frogs Eat in the Wild

Adult gray tree frogs are fully grown, meaning they have bigger mouths and stronger jaws. They can eat all the food they ate as juveniles, but their larger size allows them to also eat things they did not eat as juveniles.

Adult gray tree frogs (and froglets) are instinctively attracted to movement while hunting for food. For this reason, they will only eat live prey and will avoid dead bugs.

In fact, many insects use playing dead as a way to avoid predators, including gray tree frogs, and other frogs.

Here’s a list of things that make up an adult gray tree frog’s diet in the wild:

• Mites, ants, plant lice, spiders, snails, slugs
• Moths, butterflies, flies, grasshoppers, tree crickets, beetles
• Grubs, and other insect larvae (such as moth larvae)
• Small millipedes & centipedes 
• Termites, Springtails
• Mosquitoes, crane flies, and a wide variety of other insects

In the wild, Gray tree frogs find most of their food in the trees and shrubs. They are very acrobatic and will often jump between branches to seek out and catch prey.

Sometimes, they wander into residential areas and into people’s yards and sit by the porch light to catch moths and other bugs that are drawn to the light.

As earlier mentioned, gray tree frogs are insectivores, so bugs will make up the majority of their diet. One study at the University of Missouri examined the stomach contents of gray tree frogs in central Missouri and found that ants and beetles were 70.8% of their diet.

Also, since tree frogs do not spend much of their time in the water, gray tree frogs typically do not eat aquatic prey. This is in contrast to other frogs such as leopard frogs that very regularly eat small fish and other aquatic prey.

What Adult Gray Tree Frogs Eat In Captivity

Captive gray tree frogs can eat all the food they would eat in the wild. The only reason they have a different diet is that most hobbyists cannot easily obtain the wide variety of prey these frogs eat in the wild.

So they are limited to only prey items they can purchase or culture on their own.

However, even in captivity, it’s a good idea to keep your gray tree frogs diet as close to its wild diet as possible. This means you have to feed it live prey.

Feeder crickets seem to be a favorite among many gray tree frog owners. It is recommended to gut load the crickets to make them more nutritious (more information on that is below).

Here’s a list of things you can feed a gray tree frog in captivity:

• Crickets, dubia roaches, flightless fruit flies
• Mealworms, wax worms
• Small silkworms & hornworms
• Earthworms

Gray tree frogs are not very picky eaters and will readily accept most soft-bodied invertebrates. Crickets can make up a majority of their diet. However, a varied diet is recommended so other food items can be substituted for crickets every two or three feedings.

The only problem with certain feeders, for example, dubia roaches and mealworms – is that they tend to burrow under the substrate of the frog’s enclosure, – so they will not be visible and the frog can not eat them.

To get around this, you could try putting them in a small ceramic dish. Doing this will prevent them from moving around too much (and burrowing), and it will also make them more visible to the frog, so it can eat them.

If you want to feed your frog mealworms, it’s a good idea to only use the ones that have just shed, and still have soft bodies, as the hard exoskeleton of mature mealworms is very hard for gray tree frogs to digest.

As for fruit flies, I recommend Hydei fruit flies as they are considerably bigger than the Melanogaster fruit flies and make a richer meal for your frog.

Can You Feed a Captive Gray Tree Frog Wild Bugs?

You could feed your gray treefrog wild-caught bugs. Just be 100% sure they are from a clean area that’s free of pesticides or other chemicals. Avoid feeding bugs that can sting or bite, such as large spiders, hornets, bees, etc

Still, it is generally not a very good idea to feed captive frogs wild bugs or other wild prey. Pet frogs raised in a controlled environment often have weaker immune systems than those in the wild.

For this reason, feeding them wild bugs could expose them to parasites and diseases they are vulnerable to. Also, wild bugs in a seemingly clean area could be carrying pesticides they picked up from another area.

Gut-Loading & Nutrient Supplements

In the wild, frogs get all the vitamins and minerals they need from the wide variety of prey they eat. In captivity, their diet is limited to only a few things.

Also, captive-bred feeder insects are often raised on a cost-conscious diet that is meant to help them grow quickly. This means they are not as nutritious as wild insects that eat a wide variety of vitamin and mineral-rich food.

For this reason, it is important to increase the nutritional value of the food you give to your frog.

This is mainly done in two ways: dusting, and gut loading.

Gut Loading

Gut loading is the process by which feeder insects are fed nutrient-dense foods at least 48 hrs before they are offered to the frog. The intention is to pass those nutrients on to the frog when the insects are eaten. 

In this context, you want to give your crickets, or other feeder insects, foods with lots of nutrients – for example, fresh fruits and vegetables with lots of vitamin C.

After consuming this food, the insects will be much more nutritious and pass the nutrients on to the frog when they are eaten.

Dusting

Besides gut loading, another way to ensure your gray tree frog gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs is by dusting its food with high-quality powder calcium and vitamin supplements.

Most hobbyists use commercially manufactured supplement powder specifically designed for reptiles and amphibians.

The process is simple:

• First, add a small pinch of supplement powder into a small container such as a cup or an empty cereal container. The powder should only be enough to lightly dust the insects.
• Place one feedings worth of feeder insects in the container
• Gently shake the container so the supplements lightly coat the insects
• Once finished, you can offer the dusted insects to your frog

It is important to know what calcium formula is right for your pet, whether it be no D3, low D3, or high D3.

Since gray tree frogs are nocturnal, they are not going to metabolize the D3 from the sun – but will instead absorb it from their diet. For this reason, it’s recommended that you use a calcium supplement that is high in D3.

It’s a good idea to alternate between a calcium a multi-vitamin powder. If you dust with a calcium powder, next time remember to dust with a multi-vitamin powder instead, and vice-versa.

How Much & How Often to Feed Your Gray Tree Frog

Generally, adult gray tree frogs will have to be fed every two or three days, while young gray tree frogs will need to be fed every day or two. However, the temperature of the enclosure will determine the frequency of feeding.

If the temperature is low, your gray tree frog will have a slower metabolism and be less active, so feeding once a week will be enough.

At warmer temperatures, your frog will have a much faster metabolism and will need to be fed much more frequently (two to three times per week).

Regarding how much to feed your gray tree frog, the general rule is to only offer as much as the frog can eat in a 20-minute feeding session.

For adults, this usually means between three and six crickets but there is no absolute figure here; so it has to be learned with a bit of experimentation.

Start by feeding 3 crickets per day. If the frog eats all the food items the first day, increase the amount your offer by 1 cricket. If there are always crickets left over after a feeding session, you may be feeding the frog too many crickets.

Monitor the number of food item items left over after each feeding. In addition to this, keep an eye on the weight of your frog to ensure it is not becoming overweight.

How Long Can a Gray Tree Frog Go Without Food?

Generally, healthy adult gray tree frogs can go for as long as two weeks without food if the environmental temperatures are low, and the frogs are not very active. However, this isn’t to say you should test the endurance of your frog.

In most situations, it’s a good idea to feed your gray tree frog at least two times per week.

What Gray Tree Frog Tadpoles Eat In Captivity

Gray tree frog tadpoles have a different diet from the metamorphosed adults. During the first 4 – 7 days after they hatch, they will absorb the remaining yolk around them so feeding won’t be necessary.

Once the tadpoles begin moving around and free swimming, you can start feeding them boiled and finely chopped vegetables such as:

• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Baby spinach
• Zucchini

Apart from vegetables, you can also feed:

• Algae wafers
• Aquatic frog and tadpole food 

Like the adults and juveniles, gray tree frog tadpoles need a varied diet so it’s important to rotate their diet. You can use both vegetables and commercial food to give greater variety.

If you cannot find commercial tadpole food suitable for tree frogs, you could make your own by finely grinding fish flakes (Tetra tropical) in a blender – until you get a fine powder. You may have to sift the ground food through a small wire mesh sieve to remove larger pieces.

The tadpoles have to be fed daily, but be careful not to overfeed. All food should be eaten within 3 – 4 hours. If there is excess food in the water, it should be removed.

What Juvenile (Baby) Gray Tree Frogs Eat In Captivity

When the tadpoles go through metamorphosis (in about 3 – 4 months) and transform into froglets, they become obligate carnivores – so they have to be fed small live prey.

Since they are not fully grown yet, they have to be fed a smaller version of their adult diet. The food has to be gut-loaded or dusted with supplements.

Baby gray frogs can be fed:

• Pinhead crickets
• Wingless fruit flies
• Springtails
• Small mealworms

As the froglets grow in size, they will be able to eat larger things.

What Human Foods Can a Gray Tree Frog Eat?

Adult gray tree frogs are obligate carnivores that are instinctively attracted to movement while hunting for food. For this reason, they only eat live prey and will not eat the vast majority of human food.

Humans do not typically eat live food and tend to cook most of their food – so human food will not even register as food to most frogs, including gray tree frogs. If you try to offer human food to a gray tree frog, it most likely will not eat it and will starve.

How to Feed a Gray Tree Frog in Captivity

The easiest way to feed a gray tree frog is to simply dump the food into its enclosure and let the frog have its fill.

However, some frogs, especially those that are still getting used to a new place may be shy and reluctant to eat. In this case, you could entice the frog to eat with the use of some feeding tongs.

Use the tongs to gently hold the food item, then rub it near the nose of the frog. Once he sees it, he will grab it and eat it.

Also, it’s a good idea to tong-feed when you want to give your frog certain feeders (such as mealworms, dubia roaches, or earthworms) that aren’t very active or tend to hide under the substrate.

Why Isn’t My Gray Tree Frog Eating?

1. It is still getting used to a new place or is shy

The most common reason a frog won’t eat is that it is under stress, or still getting used to a new place. This is a very common problem with newly acquired frogs

To remedy this, try hand-feeding the frog with the help of feeding tongs/tweezers. Use the tongs to gently hold the prey item, and wiggle it in front of the frog to entice it to eat.

If this does not work try moving the frog to a dark room, and leave it alone to relax and settle down for a while. In the wild, gray tree frogs are nocturnal creatures, so they will be more active in the dark.

2. You Are Feeding the Frog at the Wrong Time of the Day

Despite being nocturnal, gray tree frogs can usually eat at any time of the day. However, sometimes individual frogs may have their own feeding preferences.

If your gay tree frog won’t eat during the day, try feeding it just before the lights turn off in its enclosure. Or, If you’re not using a UVB light, during the evening time as the sun is going down.

3. The Prey Item Being Offered Is Too Big

Another reason a gray tree frog may reject food is that the prey item you are offering is just too big. Remember, frogs do not chew their food, so they will not eat anything they can now swallow whole.

As a general rule, never offer a frog any prey larger than the distance between its eyes.

4. It Is Not Accustomed to the Food Item Being Offered

Another possible reason a gray tree frog may reject food is that it is not used to eating the food you are offering. Try switching the food item being offered. Most gray tree frogs will readily accept live crickets.

5. The Environmental Temperatures Are Low

Remember, frogs are ectothermic (cold-blooded animals). When the temperatures are low, they will have a lower rate of metabolism, and be less active, so they won’t have the biggest appetite.

This is perfectly normal, and the frog will have a much better appetite when the temperatures are warmer.

Common Feeding Mistakes

There are several mistakes frog owners make when feeding their pets:

Feeding Dead Insects

Gray tree frogs are ambush hunters that hunt for live/moving prey, so they won’t even attempt to eat dead insects. For this reason, you should only offer live prey items to your gray tree frogs.

Forgetting to Dust or Gut-Load Feeder Insects

As mentioned earlier, commercially bred feeder insects are often low in nutrition. Remember to dust or gut-load all your feeder insects before feeding them to your gray tree frog. This will ensure that your frog gets all the nutrients it needs and stays strong and healthy.

Not Using a Varied Diet

Different food items have different nutrients. Not giving a gray tree frog a varied diet means it will not get the right variety of nutrients it needs and may end up weak and malnourished.

Switch up the food items offered to the frog every few feedings so it gets a nutrient-rich diet.

Using the Wrong-Sized Feeder Insects

Frogs do not chew their food, but rather swallow it whole. Feeding a tiny frog a disproportionately large insect could lead it to choke.

Never give your gray tree frog anything larger than the distance between its eyes. The bigger the frog, the larger the prey it will be able to eat.

Feeding Food With a High-Fat Content Too Often

Captive frogs are not very active animals, so they do not burn off calories. This means giving a gray tree frog high-fat food (such as wax worms) too often may lead to obesity.

Obesity can then lead to many health problems. For this reason, it is important to limit food with a high-fat content to only an occasional treat.

Overfeeding/Underfeeding

Frogs are voracious feeders so overfeeding them is a real possibility. Overfeeding can lead to obesity which could, in turn, lead to the frog developing health problems.

Alternatively, underfeeding your frog means it will go hungry and have poor health.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Do gray tree frogs eat crickets?

Gray frogs do indeed eat crickets. In fact, crickets can make up a majority of a pet (captive) gray tree frog’s diet. Just remember to dust or gut-load the crickets to make them more nutritious. Also, a varied diet is recommended so other food items can be substituted for crickets every few feedings.

Do gray tree frogs eat mealworms?

Gray tree frogs can eat mealworms but are not the best food option for your frog. Mealworms are high in fat, have little meat, and have a hard exoskeleton that is difficult to digest. Small silkworms or hornworms are a better choice as they have more meat and a soft exoskeleton, that is easy to digest.

If you want to feed your frog mealworms, it’s a good idea to only use the ones that have just shed, and still have soft bodies, as the hard chitin exoskeleton of mature mealworms is very hard for gray tree frogs to digest.

Do gray tree frogs eat worms? 

In the wild, gray tree frogs will eat any worms they can catch – and In captivity, they will readily accept earthworms. To feed worms to a captive gray tree frog, put the worms in a small plastic or ceramic dish. Doing this will make the worms more visible to the frog, so it can eat them.

Alternatively, you could tong-feed your frog to entice it to eat the worms.

Do gray tree frogs eat rolly pollies (pill bugs)?

Gray tree frogs do eat rolly pollies when given the chance. Adult rolly pollies have a hard exoskeleton that is difficult to digest, so it’s not a good idea to offer them to your gray tree frog. However, baby and juvenile rolly pollies are small and soft-bodied, so they will be an awesome treat for a gray tree frog.

Do gray tree frogs eat fruit?

Adult gray tree frogs are obligate carnivores, so they will not eat fruit, vegetables, or any other plant matter.

What do baby gray tree frogs eat?

Gray tree frogs start as tadpoles that eat algae, soft plants, and small invertebrates. Over time, the tadpoles will transform into baby gray tree frogs that are obligate carnivores. Once transformed, baby gray tree frogs will eat ants, mites, termites, craneflies, and other small insects.

Conclusion

Gray tree frogs are opportunistic feeders that will make the best use of the food sources available in their environment. However, most of their diet will consist of ants and bugs.

Captive gray tree frogs can be fed crickets, dubia roaches, small silkworms, and other soft-bodied bugs.

If you are reading this because you’ve recently acquired a gray tree frog, you do not need to worry because these frogs are relatively easy to feed and care for.

Just remember to give a varied diet and don’t forget to dust or gut-load feeder insects so your gray tree frog gets all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

Ezra Mushala

Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.

snakeinformer.com

The post What Do Gray Tree Frogs Eat? first appeared on Snake Informer.

Gray tree frogs are mildly poisonous. When threatened, they produce noxious skin secretions that make them taste bad to many would-be predators. These secretions are merely irritating when ingested by a human, but can make some small animals such as dogs (especially small or sickly dogs), or cats sick.

Despite their toxic skin secretions, gray tree frogs are usually harmless to humans. The secretions they produce are only harmful when ingested (such as when you handle a gray tree frog with your bare hands, then rub your eyes before washing your hands).

When left alone or when handled with a few safety precautions in mind, gray tree frogs are harmless creatures.

Gray Tree Frogs Are Only Mildly Poisonous

These toxic secretions are also thought to have the added benefit of preventing some bacterial and fungal infections. Since frogs breathe through their skin (in addition to their lungs), a skin infection can disrupt their respiration and prove to be fatal.

“Gray Tree Frogs” Are Actually Two Species

There are two species of gray tree frog; the eastern gray tree frog (Hyla versicolor), sometimes called the northern or common gray tree frog –  and the cope’s gray tree frog (Hyla chrysoscelis). 

These two frogs are sibling species and are so similar that they appear identical. They both have rough skin with a bumpy texture and large, prominent toe pads on their fingers and toes that help them cling to tree bark and other surfaces.

Their coloration varies from green to light greenish gray, gray, brown, or dark brown with irregular dark blotches on the back. However, their color can change depending on their environment and activity (they tend to be more greenish during the breeding season).

These frogs usually have a light spot beneath the eye and the skin on their inner thigh is bright yellow or orange, which is most visible when the frog is jumping or moving.

Since these two frog species are visually identical, the main way to tell them apart (besides genetic testing) is by their call; the call of the eastern gray tree frog is a melodic birdlike trill while the call of Cope’s gray tree frog is a rapid high-pitched buzzing trill.

Of these two gray tree frog species, only the Cope’s gray tree frog is known to be poisonous. However, since these two species are visually identical and very difficult for the average person to tell apart, it is a good idea to treat all gray tree frogs that you come across as potentially poisonous.

Gray Tree Frogs Are Not Venomous

If you are like most people, you have used the words ‘poisonous’ and ‘venomous’ interchangeably. However, you should know that there are significant differences between the two terms.

Most poisonous animals are not venomous, and most venomous animals are not poisonous. Confused?

To make things simple:

• If an animal has to bite or sting you to inject its toxins, it is venomous.
• If an animal secretes its toxins outside of its body, and you absorb the toxins when you come in contact with the animal, it is poisonous.

In other words, Venom is actively injected, usually through stings, fangs, or barbs (think rattlesnakes, scorpions). Poison on the other hand is delivered much more passively and has to be absorbed/ingested into your body.

It can be ingested when it comes into contact with your eyes, lips, the mucus lining of the nose, or open cuts on your skin (think poison dart frogs).

Gray tree frogs secrete toxins on their skin to stop predators from eating them but cannot actively inject these toxins into a predator. This means they are poisonous, but not venomous.

Poisonous animals are typically not aggressive and are usually harmless if you don’t touch them or otherwise come in contact with their toxin. They only use their toxin to deter animals from trying to eat them.

Are Gray Tree Frogs Dangerous to Humans?

Although poisonous, gray tree frogs typically aren’t dangerous to humans. The toxin they secrete isn’t potent enough to be of any serious harm to humans. Granted, it may cause irritation or discomfort, but only if you ingest it.

The toxin is not absorbed through your skin but can be absorbed through breaks or cuts on the skin, and the mucous membranes in your eyes, nose, or mouth.

This can happen when you pick up a gray tree frog with your bare hands, then rub your eyes, or stick your fingers in your nose or mouth without first washing your hands.

Doing this would enable the toxin to be absorbed by your mucus membranes and likely lead to severe irritation and general discomfort.

If the toxin comes in contact with your eyes, you may get a very painful burning and itching sensation, somewhat similar to the feeling you get when chili gets in your eye. It may even cause inflammation in the mucous membranes of your eyes.

You can also ingest the secretions when you handle a gray tree frog with open cuts or scratches on your hands. This would most likely lead to an intense burning sensation and a feeling of numbness at the point of contact.

For this reason, it is a good idea to avoid handling gray tree frogs. Although their poison is not lethal when ingested by humans, it can still be severely irritating, particularly when it comes in contact with your eyes.

If you ever need to handle a gray tree frog, remember to avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have washed your hands.

Toxins Aren’t the Only Thing to Worry About

The other concern with gray tree frogs is that; like most amphibians, they often carry salmonella bacteria, and while not all do, you shouldn’t take the chance.

Gray tree frogs can carry salmonella bacteria in their digestive tract and excrete it in their waste. The bacteria usually do not cause any illness in the frog – so a gray tree frog carrying salmonella bacteria can look very clean and healthy, but the bacteria can be transmitted to humans.

You can be exposed to salmonella by direct or indirect contact with a frog, it is waste or anything the frog came in contact with. (For example, if you touch a gray tree frog, its droppings or water where the frog has been, then touch stick your fingers into your mouth without first washing your hands).

Exposure to salmonella can cause an infection called Salmonellosis which is characterized by stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and sometimes vomiting.

The infection is usually mild and non-life-threatening – but in some cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream leading to serious illness.

Fortunately, merely touching a gray tree frog will not give you a salmonella infection. The bacteria can only cause illness when they are ingested.

Therefore, thoroughly washing your hands immediately after touching a gray tree frog should keep you out of harm’s way

Are Gray Tree Frogs Dangerous to Dogs or Cats?

Since gray tree frogs secrete a toxin when threatened; a dog, cat, or any other pet that attacks one will likely get a mouthful of bitter toxin and let go right away.

If a dog ingests enough of this toxin, it may drool, spit, or even foam at the mouth, but usually nothing more. However, some small or old/sickly dogs could fall sick, especially if they ingest and swallow significant quantities of this toxin.

Fortunately, there are no documented deaths or serious injuries of pets that have attacked or tried to eat a gray tree frog.

Still, it’s best to keep your dogs, cats, or any other pets away from gray tree frogs (and any other frogs) if you can.

Although only mildly poisonous, their secretion is still strong enough seriously irritate a dog (especially small dogs) or cat.

Frogs Can Carry Parasites

As earlier mentioned, frogs can carry salmonella bacteria so a dog or cat that mouths, bites, or eats a gray tree frog may ingest the bacteria and develop an infection.

Additionally, frogs are known to carry tapeworms and other parasites. This means if a dog eats a gray tree frog, it is not only at risk of poisoning but may also consume parasites and develop a parasitic infection.

For this reason, it is important to keep your pets away from gray tree frogs (or any other frogs). If you have captive gray tree frogs at home, keep them in a secure enclosure so they do not come in contact with any of your other pets.

Safety Precautions to Take When Handling Gray Tree Frogs

Generally, it is not a good idea to handle amphibians. This is because they have highly permeable skin that they use to breathe and also absorb moisture from their environments.

Their skin does not just absorb oxygen and moisture though, anything that comes in contact with the skin can be absorbed; including oils, salts, perfumes, lotions, soap, insect repellents, and other substances on your hands.

Handling a gray tree frog with unclean hands can harm and even potentially kill the frog if any harmful substances you may have on your hands make their way into its body.

For this reason, it’s advisable to observe frogs from a distance without physically touching them.

If you ever need to handle a gray tree frog (such as moving it out of harm’s way), take the following precautions to protect both you and the animal.

Before Handling

• Wash your hands EXTREMELY so they are very clean. Not just clean from dirt, but from perfumes, lotions, or any other substances that could harm the frog, and be sure that no soap residue remains on your hands.
• After washing your hands, dry them (preferably with paper towels), then re-moisten with dechlorinated water.

Even better, you could wear protective gloves (powder-free vinyl gloves or nitrile gloves).

Wearing gloves will not only prevent you from coming in contact with toxins and bacteria that may be on the frogs’ skin but will also protect the frog from harmful substances you may have on your hands.

The gloves also have to be moistened with dechlorinated water.

When Handling

• Keep the frog away from your eyes nose and mouth and, be very careful not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• As you handle the frog, do it very gently and with care so you do not injure or stress the frog in any way. Frogs and other amphibians only secrete their toxin to defend themselves when they feel threatened. Therefore, stressing a gray frog will make it secret it is toxins all over your hands.

Frogs should only be handled for a short time. Handling a frog too long can cause stress to the animal and dry out it is skin.

What to Do After Handling

• Very thoroughly wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap under running water.

Even if you were wearing gloves, it is still a good idea to go the extra mile by washing your hands. As earlier mentioned, gray tree frogs secrete toxins and may carry bacteria that can be harmful, so it’s best to protect yourself.

Before washing your hands, do not touch anything, especially not your eyes, and do not put anything in your mouth.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Are gray tree frogs poisonous to touch? Gray tree frogs are indeed poisonous to touch. Remember, they secrete toxins all over their skin, and you can ingest these toxins if you do not wash your hands after touching a gray tree frog.

Are gray tree frogs poisonous to dogs? Gray tree frogs produce noxious skin secretions that are poisonous when ingested by a dog. This means if your dog eats, licks, or bites a gray tree frog, it may ingest toxic secretions. These secretions are merely irritating, and won’t kill or seriously harm most dogs.

Are gray tree frogs poisonous to cats? Since gray tree frogs produce toxic skin secretions, they can be poisonous to cats. The secretions produced by gray tree frogs are not lethally toxic, so they may irritate but won’t kill or seriously harm most cats.

Do gray tree frogs bite? Gray tree frogs can bite, but this is very rare. They will only nip at a human if they are being handled in a way that causes them a lot of stress. Their bite is nothing to be worried about because it is unlikely to hurt and is not venomous or anything of that nature.

Final Thoughts

Gray tree frogs are interesting amphibians that are fun to observe. Although they produce toxic skin secretions to defend themselves, these secretions are unlikely to cause serious harm.

Most people harmed by gray tree frogs (or any other toxic amphibians) are those who handle them with their bare hands, then rub their eyes or put their fingers in their mouth, or nose without first washing their hands.

Doing this enables the toxins to come in contact with the mucous membranes in the eyes or mouth – leading to irritation or discomfort, but usually nothing more.

When left alone (or when handled with care), gray tree frogs are harmless creatures.

Ezra Mushala

Hi, my name is Ezra Mushala, i have been interested animals all my life. I am the main author and editor here at snakeinformer.com.

snakeinformer.com

The post Are Gray Tree Frogs Poisonous to Humans, Dogs, or Cats? first appeared on Snake Informer.