Barking Treefrog

Hyla gratiosa

Description

The Barking Treefrog is the largest of the native tree frogs in the United States. They are found in the southeast part of Mississippi, as well as in a separate population in the northern part of the state (Peterson et al., 2016). They are large with rougher-looking moist skin, often green or olive with dark circular spots throughout.

Adult male, resting before dusk, Harrison Co. (MS)

Identifying Traits

  • Large in size
  • Dark circles throughout (differentiates from other tree frogs)
  • No clean white line on side of body (differentiates from green tree frog)
Range

Habitat

Pristine pine savannas with sandy soils, low elevation forested wetlands (Peterson et al., 2016)

Behavior

Male call sounds almost like a barking dog, a blunt “doh” or “doo” sound

Chorus of Barking Treefrogs and some calling Dusky Gopher Frogs (snoring sound) and Southern Cricket Frogs (clacking sound)
Two males calling
Green/Barking Treefrog hybrid (Hyla cinerea x gratiosa)

Diet

Various invertebrates

Amplexing pair of adults showing off morphological variation, Harrison Co. (MS)
Gravid female moving into seasonal wetland, Harrison Co. (MS)
Pair of brown individuals in amplexus (mating posture), Harrison Co. (MS)
Recent metamorph leaving a breeding wetland in summer, Harrison Co. (MS)
Male puffed up (typical when calling), Harrison Co. (MS)
Gray-phase individual, Liberty Co. (FL)