The Scoop

Tiny and Colorful

Pacific treefrogs like to live in damp places, wetlands, ponds, woodland, meadows and pastures. As long as these tree frogs have access to water, they can survive. Pacific treefrogs vary in color from bronze to lime green. They are the smallest and the most commonly seen and heard frogs. Pacific treefrogs are the only frogs with padded toes and dark markings. They can change their body color depending on their surroundings as well as the need to hide themselves. They also change color according to the seasons and temperature. At high temperatures, these frogs often turn a shade of yellow. Under cooler temperatures, they return to their more typical darker colors. Pacific treefrogs are social creatures, especially during mating season. Their call is quite distinctive, and they call in a chorus that can be quite loud. The call of these frogs is widely used in Hollywood movies as a night time background sound.

Pacific treefrogs are really tiny. They are even smaller than your finger-   between an inch and two inches long. When they are tadpoles, Pacific treefrogs eat mainly bacteria and algae. Adults usually feed at night and often consume great quantities of flying insects. Their diet includes flies, ants, mosquitoes, beetles and small spiders. Adults capture insects by extending their tongues. The tongue is coated by a sticky secretion that traps the insect. Pacific treefrogs are important to us and to the earth because they help to control the insect population.