Virginia Native Tree Frogs Go Tropical
Occasionally, coming from the back of the greenhouse, I will hear a customer’s rapid high pitched squeal because something just leapt up at them from an orchid plant they were admiring. The fierce and frightening creature pictured is usually the culprit. It’s a tree frog. It may be one of two possible species: Hyla chrysoscelis or Hyla versicolor.
There are two or three of these creatures living inside my greenhouse. I can discern a difference in size and markings between two of them so I know there are at least that many. I believe they came to live here a year or so ago just after the fire when my greenhouse spent a lot of time open to the outdoors. I never saw a frog in my greenhouse in the decade or so prior to this. I think they were trapped inside when it was reskinned. They seem to be happy. They have managed to find food and shelter in here for over a year now.
I go for weeks or months without seeing them and then suddenly I will hear a loud squeal and embarrassed laughter coming from the general direction of a customer. Wikipedia says the two species are virtually indistinguishable except for their calls. H chrysoscelis has a faster paced, and slightly higher pitched call than its cousin, so unless I can hear both I can’t compare. So far it is only customers making noise and not the frogs. And even with nothing to compare, I would have to say it is the customers who have the higher pitched call, at least when startled.
okay, now I’m going to have to stalk the gh for this frog! I’ve never had success finding them out in the wild – perhaps I’ll have at least a chance in an enclosed space….
I am now sure there are at minimum 4 tree frogs living in my greenhouse. We have managed to locate three of them at the same time in different parts of the greenhouse and a customer brought me a baby one he captured outside in his bog before it got too cold and they went where ever they go when it gets too cold.