Cope's Gray Treefrog

How to identify

• Visually identical to gray treefrog
• Mottled gray, green, or brown
• Bright orange or yellow on inner thighs
• Large sticky toe pads
• Call: faster, harsher, more buzzy trill than gray treefrog

About this species

Cope's gray treefrog is visually identical to the gray treefrog and shares much of the same range in Virginia. The two species were only recognized as distinct in the 1950s when researchers discovered they are different chromosomally — gray treefrogs are tetraploid (4 sets of chromosomes) while Cope's are diploid (2 sets). In the field, the call is the only reliable way to tell them apart.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Cope's gray treefrog is a diploid species that is believed to be the ancestor of the tetraploid gray treefrog — the two are thought to have separated relatively recently in evolutionary terms."

Sightings & citizen science

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