treefrog

Resting on the Rail /  by Todd Henson

A small gray treefrog, resting on the rail.

It’s nice sometimes when wildlife comes right to you at home, at least when it’s harmless and non-destructive wildlife. That was the case here with a couple small gray treefrogs at my front entrance. One was resting on the vertical brick wall and the other was on the metal railing right beside a small tree, which provided a nice background for it.

Gray treefrogs really are fascinating little creatures.

I tried photographing the one on the brick wall first, but it was skittish and hopped away shortly after I snapped the shutter. You can see a photo of it towards the end of the post. But the second frog, on the metal railing, showed no interest or concern of me and the camera. It was simply posing on the railing. Maybe it was resting, or waiting for some insect to come closer, or perhaps it was just staying still hoping I’d go away.

I didn’t spend a long time with the frog, but I did attempt a few shots with different perspectives or framing. I think I prefer the angled shot that opens this post, but it was also interesting getting in close to better see some of the details in these little creatures.

This is as close as I got. I didn’t want to get closer and risk scaring it away.

I like taking a little time while post-processing to analyze my photos, to see if I made any mistakes or if there are things I could do next time to create a better photograph. Looking back, one thing I might try next time would be a polarizing filter. I wonder whether that might have reduced some of the glare from the damp skin of the frog, perhaps letting us better see the color and texture of its skin. And I might try another angled shot but lower down, more at eye-level with the frog to give a more personal perspective. The next challenge is remembering what I’ve learned so I can apply it in the future.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at one of my lovely neighbors.

The one that hopped away…

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Gray Treefrog Resting on Steps /  by Todd Henson

A gray treefrog resting on the steps with grass in the background.

Sometimes you don’t have to look far to find wildlife to observe. I found this little gray treefrog resting on my front steps one afternoon. I almost didn’t notice it. It blended in fairly well with the concrete steps. But when I did notice I couldn’t stop myself from grabbing my camera and capturing a series of photographs.

The gray treefrog has turned its eye to the camera.

There are 2 species of gray treefrog in this area, Hyla chrysoscelis (also known as Cope’s gray treefrog), and Hyla versicolor (known as gray treefrog), virtually indistinguishable except by their call, their DNA, or in some cases their location. This little treefrog never called while I was around (they typically call at night). I don’t have DNA testing equipment. And both species appear to exist in my area. So I have no clue which of the 2 species this little frog was a member of.

Side view of a gray treefrog.

These treefrogs are typically only seen during the mating season, which can stretch from March to August for the gray treefrog, and from May to August for Cope’s gray treefrog. I photographed this one in mid-May 2018.

This gray treefrog never had a problem with me up close photographing it.

This is the first treefrog I’ve seen in my neighborhood. I used to see many at a friends house in another neighborhood, but they mostly disappeared after further construction began. I will have to keep my eyes open, perhaps I’ll see more this season. Have you seen any treefrogs in your neighborhood?

Resources

The Virginia Herpetological Society is a great resource for identifying and learning about reptiles and amphibians native to Virginia.

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