Barking treefrog
Hyla gratiosa

The barking treefrog is the largest native treefrog in the southeastern U.S. Adults are about 2 inches long and have a pudgy appearance. They are typically bright green with lots of dark spots but have the ability to darken to an obscure brownish color. These frogs have round toepads on the end of each toe which give them the ability to climb vertical surfaces, such as tree trunks, walls and even windows.

This frog is named for its deep bellowing voice that sounds a bit like a hound dog barking. On rainy spring nights, the choruses of these animals can be deafening, as the males try to attract the females to the breeding ponds. Barking treefrogs are most often seen at these breeding congregations from April to June in Carolina bays, ponds or other wetlands. Although they are sometimes found underground or up in trees, it is a bit of a mystery where they spend the rest of the year. These frogs are voracious predators, feeding on insects and other invertebrates, so they play an important role in natural pest control.

Barking Treefrog

This information is provided as a public service by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Outreach Program.