PINE BARRENS TREEFROG Hyla andersonii - Florida Wildlife ...

<strong>PINE</strong> <strong>BARRENS</strong> <strong>TREEFROG</strong><br />

<strong>Hyla</strong> <strong>andersonii</strong><br />

Order:<br />

Family:<br />

FNAI Ranks:<br />

U.S. Status:<br />

FL Status:<br />

Anura<br />

Hylidae<br />

G4/S3<br />

None<br />

Species of Special Concern<br />

© Barry Mansell<br />

Description: A small, lime-green frog with expanded disc-like toe pads<br />

and a yellow-edged, broad, maroon to chocolate-brown stripe on each side<br />

that extends forward from eye to nostril and onto hind leg. Belly white;<br />

many bright yellow spots on front and back of thighs and on side of body<br />

inside thighs and armpits. Adult body length (excluding legs) about 1.5 in.<br />

(38 mm). Call a nasal “quonk” repeated many times at intervals of about a<br />

half-second. Tadpoles to 1.5 in. (38 mm), dark olive with black spots on<br />

back, greenish yellow belly, and tail with black blotches.<br />

Similar Species: No other <strong>Florida</strong> tree frog has wide maroon-brown stripe<br />

on sides and head plus yellow spots under the armpits. Green treefrog<br />

Field Guide to the Rare Animals of <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> Natural Areas Inventory, 2001

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<strong>PINE</strong> <strong>BARRENS</strong> <strong>TREEFROG</strong><br />

<strong>Hyla</strong> <strong>andersonii</strong><br />

(<strong>Hyla</strong> cinerea) is more elongate and has a distinct, narrow, white or yellow<br />

line on each side and extending along jaw-line; its call is similar but lowerpitched<br />

and at longer intervals. Barking treefrog (H. gratiosa) usually has<br />

circular dark spots on back. Squirrel treefrog (H. squirella) is small and<br />

usually has ragged white line on side. Pine woods treefrog (H. femoralis)<br />

has bright yellow spots on back of thighs but nowhere else and is usually<br />

brown. Gray (H. chrysocelis) and bird-voiced (H. avivoca) treefrogs,<br />

although usually gray, can turn green; back pattern on both resembles tree<br />

bark, and skin is slightly warty.<br />

Habitat: Acidic seepage bogs, both herbaceous and shrubby, draining<br />

sandy uplands. Water shallow and clear, sphagnum moss abundant.<br />

Common trees and shrubs include titi, sweet bay magnolia, fetterbush, red<br />

maple, tulip poplar, black gum, gallberry, pepperbush, and St. Johns wort.<br />

Extent of use of surrounding uplands is unknown.<br />

Seasonal Occurrence: Calls March - September; tadpoles present May -<br />

August.<br />

<strong>Florida</strong> Distribution: Western panhandle, mostly in tributaries of the<br />

Blackwater and Yellow rivers and Choctawhatchee Bay.<br />

Range-wide Distribution: Three widely disjunct regions: New Jersey pine<br />

barrens, North and South Carolina, and western <strong>Florida</strong> and adjacent<br />

southern Alabama.<br />

Conservation Status: Most <strong>Florida</strong> populations are within Eglin Air Force<br />

Base and Blackwater River State Forest.<br />

Protection and Management: Protect streams from siltation, pollution,<br />

and excess surface runoff, all of which are threats to habitat where roads<br />

cross slopes above streams; move or close roads as needed. Avoid damming<br />

streams within range. Burn adjacent uplands to retard development of<br />

hardwood forests along streams; allow fire to encroach into herbaceous<br />

bogs.<br />

Selected References: Ashton and Ashton 1988a, Bartlett and Bartlett<br />

1999, Conant and Collins 1991, Means and Longden 1976, Means and<br />

Moler 1979, Moler 1981, Moler (ed.) 1992, Mount 1975.<br />

Field Guide to the Rare Animals of <strong>Florida</strong> <strong>Florida</strong> Natural Areas Inventory, 2001