New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

New: Facebook has blocked all Canadian news. Join our mailing list to stay in the loop.

Frog_On_My_Window

Feature Article July 17

Feature Article July 17, 2002

LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb Home

Contact Us

There's a frog on my window Usually a few times a year, in the morning, I will find a small treefrog clinging to the outside of my window. This charming little visitor has come to the window to feed on insects that have been attracted to the light in late evening. It has found its way up the side of the house and is clinging to the window pane by the little suction cups it has on all of its toes. It is a Gray Treefrog.

Normally it is not easily seen, but is often heard, starting in late spring, as it sends out its bird-like trill, seeking a mate. It will probably be clinging to the limb of a small tree or shrub, and if you go looking for it, you may find it, but in its camouflage suit it will be difficult to spot unless you zero in on its call. It is able to change its colour from gray to green to brown or even almost white to match its surroundings, often appearing blotchy or striped. The skin of the back is warty in appearance. There is always a squarish light spot beneath the eye, and concealed orange spots on the inner thighs.

In the daytime, it will rest on a limb or branch, (those on my window have forgotten to return to the tree) and start seeking food at night. Its food will include moths, small beetles and flies, while it itself may be eaten by squirrels, small owls, or snakes if near the ground. With powerful jumping hind legs and toe discs that permit a grip on any surface, Gray Treefrogs do not sit patiently waiting for an insect meal to come close, but will leap into mid air to grab any bug which flies within range. Once the prey has been caught, a casual landing on any convenient branch or twig (or the ground), brings this acrobatic performance to a close.

Mating in May or early June, the eggs will be laid in a pond close to a woodland. The eggs hatch in about a week, and the tadpoles - which may be eaten by large water insects, snakes, or birds such as herons - will change into the adult form in two to three months. In late autumn, the treefrogs will desert the trees in favour of a hiding place under a log or leaves on the forest floor. There the water in their bodies outside the cells will freeze, but the liver has produced an antifreeze which keeps the water in the cells unfrozen. See you next spring!

Observations: The American Redstart is busy feeding its young, which have fledged and are following the parents around. What have you seen? Call Jean Griffin at 268-2518.

With the participation of the Government of Canada