Wilder Side of Oakland County

Photo courtesy of Wendy Pellerito, Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy

Hungry snakes, branch-hopping birds, ravenous red squirrels and bigger frogs eat them. Nature-savvy adults smile at them in gardens. Little kids are mesmerized when one of these sticky toe padded predator with beautiful eyes crawls up the exterior of a window on a late summer evening to peer inside.

The Eastern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) is a very common frog of Southeastern Michigan and is found in all 13 Oakland County Parks. Seeing them, however, is not as easy as hearing their loud trill. They are masters of camouflage with the ability to change color from bright green to shades of gray, and molted patterns of grays and greens. Their cryptic coloration gives them the ability to hide in plain sight and wait for a big bug, juicy beetle, or even a smaller frog to pass within strike-and-slurp range. Continue reading →