Download Pacific Tree Frog

Pacific Tree Frog
An Animal Report
By
Kiet Quach
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The Pacific Tree Frogs are
the smallest but loudest
amphibians of the Pacific
Northwest. This frog can grow
as only 10 cm (2 inches) long
snout to vent. This frog can be
recognized by its black stripes
through the eyes to the
shoulder. Also the belly of it is
light-colored and the v or y
shape between it’s eyes. The
males are smaller than the
females.
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Pacific Tree Frogs live
from southern B.C. south
to California and east to
Montana and Nevada.
They have also been
introduced to the Queen
Charlotte Islands in B.C.
Tree frogs usually are
usually found in wetlands,
trees, freshwater, shrubs
and bushes close to
water.
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Newly hatched tadpoles are
about 1 cm ( 0.5 inch) long and
grow quickly on a diet of algae and
other pond plants. Their tiny
mouths are located on the bottom
of their heads and help them to
scrape up bits of plant material.
Tadpoles eat a huge amount of
food and produce much waste
which becomes fertilizer for the
pond plants they feed on. Adult
frogs feed on flying and crawling
insects and other invertebrates.
Like most frogs, they will stuff
creatures almost as long as
themselves in their mouths.
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The Pacific Tree Frog is not an
endangered specie of frogs. The Pacific
Tree Frog adapts to camouflaging. Its
color varies from almost a bronze
brown to a light lime green. Individuals
can change color in green and brown
tones in a few minutes. This color
change is related to the temperature
and amount of moisture in the air, not
the background color as in most other
amphibians and reptiles. This color
change gives it the protection of
camouflage as it hops and crawls
about on low leaves, branches and on
the ground in open forests and forest
edges looking for flying and crawling
insects to eat. This is an adaptable
species who can live in coastal
rainforests as well as ponds near treed
areas of the interior dry belt.
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The Pacific Tree Frog moves mostly on
trees. It also moves on ground and water as
most frogs do. Moving on trees are by the
sticky pads on it’s toes. Also moving on
trees are useful for camouflaging.
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As a tadpole the Pacific Tree Frog
digests only plants. During the first
transformation it begins to eat small
insects. On the final transformation the frog
begins to start eating big insects like flies,
mosquitoes, and tiny gnats.
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After mating the female lays eggs in temporary
ponds where predators don’t live or lay eggs
there. Eggs are usually laid in March to May.
Fertilization of eggs is external and a clear jelly
egg mass the size of a ping pong ball is laid
attached to floating sticks and plants. Eggs take
about 3 to 4 weeks to hatch, depending on water
temperature. The colder the water is, the longer
they take to hatch.
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The Pacific Tree Frog is a very small and
interesting amphibians. It is also very loud
frog that could yell and be heard a mile
away. It is very protective and territorial of
its pond. It takes a few minutes for the frog
to camouflage and change different colors.
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Resources : http://www.naturepark.com/treefrog.htm
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Pictures:
http://www.stockpix.com/stock/animals/reptilesandamphibians/amphibians/frogs/d
eformed/1768.jpg
http://www.baynature.com/2002apriljune/frogs_2002apriljune.html
http://ghs.gresham.k12.or.us/science/ps/nature/animal/amphib/pactrfrog1.jpg
http://cache.corbis.com/agent/12/39/01/12390117.jpg