Another post showed a Pacific Tree Frog (Pseudacris regilla) that had changed color, in 6 hours or so, from chocolate brown to tan. Today, in the same location—on our porch between the wall and a cardboard sixpack beer carrier—we found another (or maybe the same, who knows?) Pacific Tree Frog with distinct reddish color markings.
Here he is, shy fellow, looking out at me.
This is the most common frog in our area, found from British Columbia to Northern California, and up to 11,000 feet in elevation. And they’re noted for color changing, “ranging from unicolor to mottled with greens, tans, reds, grays, browns, or blacks. They have the ability to change from light to dark”.
They’re in the “chorus frog” group.
During breeding season, males will call to attract females. A number of calling males is known as a chorus. A dominant male, or chorus master, leads off the calling which is then followed by subordinate males. If an intruding male comes instead, the Pacific Treefrog changes its usual two-part “ribbet” to a one-part encounter call. An observer trying to locate the Pacific Treefrog can mimic their calls and take over as chorus master, enticing the other frogs to begin calling as well. If this is done, be prepared to take on the responsibilities that come with being the chorus master!
I suppose they are the frog we hear so much in the spring, though I haven’t gone out to check; approaching calling frogs seems to make them be quiet, a very sensible move, so I haven’t pursued the matter. Great sound!
And their color changing is really intriguing.
There’s a rare blue morph,
and the more usual brown and green appearances,
and
Source for both, Wikimedia Commons.
But the color-changing, apparently back and forth among all the colors except blue, is really intriguing. Wikipedia says, “Previously, it was thought that there were two different fixed colors that an adult tree frog could be. Now it has been found that some of them are able to change between the two.” The closer we look, the more complex things become. Wonderful!
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