Author Topic: Pacific Treefrog (Read 2305 times)

Warren · « **on:** April 02, 2008, 09:11:37 PM »

A couple of years ago we were very happy to hear that a frog took residence in our pond. We never saw it, but heard its calls. Sometimes we'd hear it by the backyard pond and other times we'd hear it by the frontyard pond. Never did see the frog though. Then we didn't hear from it for a long time. It wasn't winter, so we figured it died or went somewhere else.

The the frog came back this year. Only it was clear that there was more than one. And they were in both the front and back yards. Finally, my son spotted one of the frogs a couple of weeks ago. A little guy, not more than 1 inch.

I was doing some cleanup in the pond this past weekend, and as I was moving some of the rocks around the edge of the pond, I guess I surprised several of them and they jumped in the pond. I caught one of them to take photos of it. Here is one of the photos. I did a search and it looks like it's a Pacific Treefrog, sometimes also called a Pacific Chorus Frog.

Never did figure out how these frogs came to be in our pond. We live in the middle of San Jose. It may be that some eggs came together with some plants. I guess that's most likely. For awhile, I thought a maybe a bird dropped him off!

maryvonne · « **Reply #1 on:** April 02, 2008, 09:20:36 PM »

That's a handsome little frog and great photo, Warren!

Warren · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2008, 09:22:39 PM »

Thanks Maryvonne. It's good to see you here.

Warren

Jerry · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2008, 10:25:15 PM »

nice one Warren! if you ever get eggs, holler!

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2008, 10:35:26 PM »

Cool picture! There is a symphony of frogs and bugs in the creek across the road; sooo noisy. We also have a private performance of frogs in the waterplant containers (where there are no fish!)

Mikey · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2008, 10:40:39 PM »

Jerry: A couple of weeks ago Green Thumb Nursery in Lake Forest was selling "Tree Frog" tadpoles and bull frog tads.

http://www.supergarden.com/ei-toro-lake-forest.php

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2008, 10:44:23 PM »

Quote

Jerry: A couple of weeks ago Green Thumb Nursery in Lake Forest was selling "Tree Frog" tadpoles and bull frog tads.

Hey Jerry, if you're ever in town let me know. Green Thumb Nursery is nearby. It seems they always have tadpoles for sale.

Kat · « **Reply #7 on:** April 03, 2008, 06:34:53 AM »

That is a terrific picture!

Julles · « **Reply #8 on:** April 03, 2008, 06:56:13 AM »

I don't see any tadpoles - or anything else, for that matter - for sale on that site. Maybe they don't do mail-order?

I've read that tree frogs lay their eggs in many places, depending on species. Some eggs hatch in really small quantities of water, like water caught inside a plant's leaves. They must transform quickly, then, because the water would eventually evaporate if it doesn't rain regularly.

I have tree frogs living SOMEWHERE outside, but I never can find them. Can only hear the chirping, from somewhere in the bushes or along side the house.

marla · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2008, 07:05:19 AM »

Cute little guy, it is amazing how the littlest ones make the loudest noise. Last year shortly after the lily pond was built we began hearing courses of frogs, went on the National Wildlife Federations web site and listen to the frog sounds and picked out 5 different ones that I could hear. The loudest was this little tree frog, that was not much bigger then DH's thumbnail, and we had thousands of tads from the frogs seeing as there were no fish in the pond. The tree frog babies once out of the pond were brown and smaller then my pinkie nail and hard to see in the wood chips. My grandson had a blast catch and releasing tads and frogs.

Jerry · « **Reply #10 on:** April 03, 2008, 08:25:13 AM »

I have a Green Thumb near me too, never saw such an offer, but I can ask.
Thanks both of you.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #11 on:** April 03, 2008, 08:44:52 AM »

Jerry, Green Thumbs keep their tadpoles near the ponding area in aquariums or barrels with some waterplants. I know they still have lots nearby.

water_sprite · « **Reply #12 on:** April 03, 2008, 09:20:28 AM »

Cute lil guy! I love tree frogs. We're lucky here, we have both the grey and green tree frogs!

On year we left the cover off our above the ground swimming pool so when spring came and we were ready to clean it out, it was FULL of Tadpoles. Of course we couldn't clean it then and waited for the frogs. When the babies still had a little bit of a tail, they would sit on the rim of the pool at night. there were hundreds! And they were all tree frog babies! It was great!

Sometimes I wished we'd kept that swimming pool up just for the frogs.

Brenda

Warren · « **Reply #13 on:** April 03, 2008, 06:07:47 PM »

That reminds me of when I was a kid that we used to go down to the local creek to catch frogs and tadpoles during the summer. We filled up one of my friend's doughboy (one of those big plastic affairs) pool full of them. That was a blast.

Several years ago, I bought some Leopard frog tadpoles at a local fish store, thinking that once they grew up into frogs, I'd release them into the pond. I don't believe they are native to CA, but in any case, they didn't last long in our fish tank

I wonder if anyone here has successfully raised tadpoles in their indoor fish tank to become frogs...

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #14 on:** April 03, 2008, 06:35:17 PM »

Great picture , Warren ! I love tree frog's . We have them here too , but I can never get a good picture of one .

marla , cool picture !

bonnie

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #15 on:** April 03, 2008, 07:56:38 PM »

I think we may have tree frogs. Can never get a decent photo of the noise makers. They lay their eggs in most of my water plant pots and my DD collects the tadpoles in a water pet container to watch them become frogs. It probably takes about 3 or more weeks to watch them morph into froggies.

Pretty fun for kids and adults to watch.

Jerry · « **Reply #16 on:** April 04, 2008, 03:02:32 PM »

Leopard frogs were my favorite as a boy in Pennsylvania. I would buy them in a flash!

Ky Kim · « **Reply #17 on:** April 04, 2008, 03:12:05 PM »

Cute little fella.

Kim

Julles · « **Reply #18 on:** April 04, 2008, 03:24:54 PM »

Warren, I have a friend who has raised tadpoles in the house, in just bowls or jars, I think, so her boys could watch the metamorphasis. They did just fine.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #19 on:** April 04, 2008, 08:38:02 PM »

There are hundreds of Pacific Chorus Frogs in my yard at the moment. We had the fish pond for years and never had any but as soon as we built other ponds with no fish they moved in. There were no plants purchased that could have had eggs on them. The adults just started showing up, more every year.

Jerry · « **Reply #20 on:** April 04, 2008, 10:44:11 PM »

I am so jealous!

karen J · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2008, 06:37:59 AM »

What a cute little frog! Great pic, too.

Well it's finally spring here (weather- wise), and we've got these little chorus frogs here. I don't know exactly what they are. Here is a pic from a previous year.

Swamp Chorus Frog? Something like that. Cricket frog? They sound like crickets. Or maybe a Western Chorus Frog.

Unfortunately, the little pond where I hear them is a total mess, completely filled with Oak leaves. I had wanted to get it cleaned out before the taddies showed up.

happyoutsidegirl · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2008, 10:47:20 AM »

Great frog pix! I love frogs but only have a few tree frogs that live in my deck pots. There so sweet!

tinkster · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2008, 07:19:25 PM »

they are sooo cute.. I have eggs this year so maybe my frogs will return.. fingers crossed

tinkster

Pheon · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2008, 09:42:12 PM »

Here is my Pacific Tree Frog picture.

Btw. These frogs will talk to you. If you converse with a friend or croak near them they will reply. Try it. Also if you go out to your pond at night with a flashlight and get them all croaking they're very interesting to watch. They will grapple and the winner sometimes will throw the loser backwards over their head. No joke.

Christian
http://allyoudoisfeedthefish.net

Warren · « **Reply #25 on:** April 06, 2008, 10:47:52 PM »

Actually, one of my next door neighbors caught me this morning as I was picking up the newspaper, to complain about my frogs being too noisy. I had suspected that the noise was bothering them because one of their children is about 3yrs old, and a few weeks ago, he was yelling "be quiet frog! be quiet frog!..." I told her I sympathized, but didn't offer anything beyond the fact that we can hear them inside the house, but with our double-paned windows, it's not really bad. I said I didn't introduce this frog, but it just showed up on its own. If I could catch the one in front (which is the one that's bothering them the most, I think) I would, but I never see it. I have tried the flashlight at night, but have not been successful finding them that way. I was just lucky to catch this other guy the other day.

Anyways, I do want to be a good neighbor and try to relocate the frog(s) out front to the backyard where I think they wouldn't bother my next door neighbor. Any good frog trap ideas?

And I do worry about the frogs in back multiplying so much that it becomes a noise problem. I was telling my wife that I need to find some natural predator to keep the frog population in check. Then she told me that she had just seen a giant lizard prowling around in the backyard. Never seen a lizard that big around here. It may be getting big on frogs!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #26 on:** April 07, 2008, 08:40:59 AM »

None of my neighbors have complained, several have said they enjoy the sound.

There were frogs here in the neighborhood before we built our fishless ponds, the neighbors had an old pool that had rainwater in it and they were breeding there.

The first year there were only a few frogs and the noise did bother US but we got used to it and now that there are hundreds or at least dozens they don't bother us at all.

When our frogs quiet which they often do, you can hear other groups of them off in the distance. Ponding is so popular that others must have ponds.