This species is found all over the southern states of the U.S. It ranges from Virginia to the Florida Keys, to the south coast of Texas. It travels as far north as Mississippi (rarely).

Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )

endemic to a single nation

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to Florida Keys, west to southeastern Texas (Conant and Collins 1991). Isolated occurrences in Mississippi, North Carolina, and northern Virginia. Introduced on the Little Bahama Bank (Schwartz and Henderson 1991). Tadpoles of this species sometimes appear in new areas as a result of being incidentally stocked with game fishes (J. Jensen, pers. comm., 2001).

Length: 4 cm

• Terrestrial
• Freshwater

Can be found in gardens, brush areas, woods, trees, and vines. Just about anywhere there is moisture, food, and hiding places.

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Comments: Open woods, cities, and towns; thick low vegetation near water; wherever there is adequate moisture, hiding places, nearby standing water, and insect food. When inactive, hides under loose bark, palm leaves, in tree holes, in gardens, and in other protected sites. Nonbreeding "rain call" given by males from trees and bushes when rainfall is impending. Eggs and larvae develop in flooded roadside ditches, flatwoods ponds, swamps, and small, semipermanent stock-watering ponds. Males call from debris and twigs above water, on ground near water, or hidden in grass clumps adjacent to permanent or temporary rain pools of moderate depth (Schwartz and Henderson 1991).

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Migrates variable distance between breeding pools and nearby nonbreeding terrestrial habitats.

The Squirell Tree Frog feeds off of insects. It prefers small prey, choosing its prey by size rather than identity.

Comments: Metamorphosed frogs eat mainly small arthropods obtained in vegetation, on the ground, and around lights at night. Larvae eat suspended matter, organic debris, algae, and plant tissue.

100,000 - 1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Total adult population size is unknown but likely exceeds 100,000. Often abundant.

Comments: Most active at night in conjunction with summer rains. In late spring and summer in Louisiana, most active just after sunset and just before sunrise (J. Herpetol. 26:521-522).

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 8.5 years.

The females are summoned by the males with quick and harsh "quacks" between the months of April and August. Once she finds a mate, a female begins amplexus and the eggs are laid inwater. Usually some sort of roadside ditch, pond, or semi-permanent puddle is used. The eggs sink to the bottom and hatch within a month. The tadpoles feed and undergo metamorphosis within days.

Lays clutch of up to about 1000 eggs in spring or summer. Eggs hatch in several days. Aquatic larvae metamorphose into terrestrial form in about 6-7 weeks.

This frog is extremely common in the south and can be seen much of the time on wet nights, around lighted areas and roads. They are often mistaken for other species of frogs because of their range in color and markings.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable

Environmental Specificity: Moderate to broad.

Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)

Comments: No major pervasive threats.