Rewilding My Lot

I was just walking by the American Beautyberry shrub one day when out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked at first like a large white fungal growth.

When I looked closer it turned out to be a striking pale colored small frog! I was thrilled to see it because I had never encountered anything like it before in the garden.

With the help of iNaturalist, I was able to identify this as probably a Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor). The “versicolor” in the scientific name reflects the fact that these frogs can change color from nearly black to nearly white. They generally live in woodland areas, so I’m very pleased to know that my garden is deemed a suitable habitat for this creature.

For months I have been hearing frog- or toad-like noises coming from the vicinity of my two rain barrels (near to where I found this frog) but never had been able to see what might be making those noises. Perhaps it has been this and some companions.

The next day I was about to sit down on a patio chair, but just in time noticed a frog was there! When I compare the markings from the two separate days, they appear to be the same frog. However, the highlight markings in the earlier sighting on a green leaf were pale green, and the same markings when on a brown chair were brown. Here are side by side photos.

Gray Treefrogs have bright yellow/orange markings on their legs, but they are only visible when they jump. I will admit to gently poking this one with a stick to make it jump — there was indeed a flash of bright orange on the extended legs, but a photo was not possible.

However, here’s a picture of what it looked like when it landed.