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{{Short description|Species of amphibian}}
{{Taxobox begin | color = pink | name = ''Hyla''}}
{{Speciesbox
{{Taxobox image | image = [[Image:European tree frog.jpg.jpg|250px|European tree frog]] | caption = European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'')}}
| image = European tree frog (Hyla arborea) on hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum).jpg
{{Taxobox begin placement | color =pink }}
| status = LC
{{Taxobox regnum entry | taxon = [[Animalia]]}}
| status_system = IUCN3.1
{{Taxobox phylum entry | taxon = [[Chordata]]}}
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group |date=2022 |title=''Hyla arborea'' |volume=2022 |page=e.T82496838A82495296 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T82496838A82495296.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
{{Taxobox classis entry | taxon = [[Amphibia]]}}
{{Taxobox ordo entry | taxon =[[Anura]]}}
| taxon = Hyla arborea
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
{{Taxobox familia entry | taxon =[[Hylidae]]}}
| synonyms = * ''Hyla viridis'' <small>[[Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti|Laurenti]], 1768</small>
{{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = '''''Hyla'''''}}
* ''Rana arborea'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
{{Taxobox_authority | author = [[Joseph Nicolai Laurenti|Laurenti]] | date = [[1768]]}}
* ''Rana hyla'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
{{Taxobox end placement}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = GBIF>{{cite web | url = https://www.gbif.org/species/2427573 | title = ''Hyla arborea'' (Linnaeus, 1758) | access-date = 31 December 2018 | publisher = Global Biodiversity Information Facility}}</ref>
{{Taxobox end}}
| range_map = Mapa Hyla arborea.png
| range_map_caption = Range as defined by the [[IUCN]] in 2009. Some populations (Iberian Peninsula, parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions) are now recognized as separate species
}}


The '''European tree frog''' ('''''Hyla arborea''''') is a small tree [[frog]]. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,<ref name=Frost>Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126.</ref> but based on molecular genetic and other data several populations formerly included in it are now recognized as separate species (for example, ''[[Italian tree frog|H. intermedia]]'' of Italy and nearby, ''[[Hyla molleri|H. molleri]]'' of the Iberian Peninsula, ''[[Mediterranean tree frog|H. meridionalis]]'' of parts of southwestern Europe and northern Africa, and ''[[Hyla orientalis|H. orientalis]]'' of parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions), limiting the true European tree frog to Europe from France to Poland and Greece.<ref name=Duellman>Duellman, William E. (2003). ''Grzimek's Animal Encyclopedia''. 2nd Ed., Vol. 2. Gale, p. 235.</ref><ref name="Stock"/><ref name=Stock2>Stöck M., Dufresnes C., Litvinchuk S.N., Lymberakis P., Biollay S., Berroneau M., Borzée A., Ghali K., Ogielska M., and Perrin N. (2012). Cryptic diversity among Western Palearctic tree frogs: Postglacial range expansion, range limits, and secondary contacts of three European tree frog lineages (Hyla arborea group). ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 65: 1-9.</ref>
The '''European tree frogs''' (some members of the [[genus]] ''Hyla'') are small [[frog]]s that can grow 5 cm in size at most. They are the only members of the wide-spread [[tree frog]] family (Hylidae) [[indigenous]] to [[Mainland Europe]]. Characteristic are the discs on the frog's toes which it uses to climb trees and hedges.


==Description==
There are three or four species and many subspecies:
[[File:Hello spring.jpg|thumb|European tree frog (Hyla arborea) in Kapıçam National Park, [[Kahramanmaraş]]]]
*''Hyla arborea'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (common or European tree frog)
European tree frogs are small; males range from {{convert|32|-|43|mm|abbr=on}} in length, and females range from {{convert|40|-|50|mm|abbr=on}} in length. They are slender, with long legs.<ref name="Duellman" /> Their [[Anatomical terms of location#Dorsal and ventral|dorsal]] skin is smooth, while their ventral skin is granular. Their dorsal skin can be green, gray, or tan depending on the temperature, humidity, or their mood. Their ventral skin is a whitish color, and the dorsal and ventral skin is separated by a dark brown [[Lateral (anatomy)|lateral]] stripe from the eyes to the groin. Females have white throats, while males have golden brown throats<ref name="Haltenorth">Haltenorth, T. (1979). ''British and European Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles''. Irwin & Co. Ltd., p. 126.</ref> with large (folded) [[vocal sac]]s. The head of ''H. arborea'' is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the [[pupil]] has the shape of a horizontal [[ellipse]], and the [[eardrum|tympanum]] is clearly recognizable. The discs on the frog's toes, which it uses to climb trees and hedges, is a characteristic feature of ''H. arborea'' . Like other frogs, their hind legs are much larger and stronger than the fore legs, enabling the frogs to jump rapidly.<ref name="Stock">Stöck M., Dubey S., Klütsch C., Litvinchuk S.N., Scheidt U., and Perrin N. (2008). Mitochondrial and nuclear phylogeny of circum-Mediterranean tree frogs from the Hyla arborea group. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 49: 1019-1024.</ref>
*''Hyla meridionalis'' Boettger, 1874 (Mediterranean tree frog or stripeless tree frog)
*''Hyla intermedia'' Boulenger, 1882 (Italian tree frog) (not always considered a species)
*''Hyla sarda'' (De Betta, 1853) (Sardinian tree frog)


==Distribution and habitat==
The European tree frogs actually don't live in forests, but rather prefer sunny forest edges, bushy [[Heath (habitat)|heaths]], wet dune pans, wet scrubland and extensively used meadows and parks with ponds rich in submerged vegetation without fish nearby. These habitats are increasingly influenced by human activity. ''Hyla arborea'', the common tree frog, is endangered in western Europe (nearly extinct in [[Belgium]]) while the more common Mediterranean tree frog lives in wet gardens, treegarths, vineyards, campings, and near [[pine tree]]s.
Members of the ''H. arborea'' [[species complex]] are the only representatives of the widespread [[tree frog]] family (Hylidae) [[Endemic (ecology)|indigenous]] to [[mainland Europe]].<ref name="Stock"/> and are found across most of Europe (except Ireland),<ref name=Stock/><ref name=Stock2/><ref>Masó, A. and M. Pijoan (2011). ''Anfibios y reptiles de la península ibérica, Baleares y Canarias'' (in Spanish) Barcelona: Omega. Pp. 848. {{ISBN|978-84-282-1368-4}}</ref><ref>[http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/ ''Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4 (8 April 2010).''] Frost, Darrel R. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.</ref> northwest Africa, and temperate Asia to Japan.<ref name="Haltenorth"/> This species complex is native to these countries:


Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; the Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Israel (found in the Ayalon Valley); Italy; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; the Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine.<ref name=AmphibiaWeb>"''Hyla arborea''". [http://amphibiaweb.org/about/index.html Amphibiaweb.org]. 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.</ref><ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
==Common tree frog==
Historically, tree frogs were used as [[barometer]]s because they respond to approaching [[rain]] by croaking. In the breeding season, even when migrating to their mating pools, they croak as well. Depending on subspecies, temperature, humidity, and the frog's 'mood', skin color ranges from bright to olive green, grey, brown and yellow. The head is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the [[pupil]] has the shape of a horizontal [[ellipse]] and the [[eardrum]] is clearly recognizable.


In the United Kingdom, the species status is contested. It has been introduced,<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/> but at least one British population, now thought to be extinct, may have been native.<ref>Naish, Darren. [http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/02/19/britains-lost-tree-frogs-sigh/ ''Britain’s lost tree frogs: sigh, not another ‘neglected native’'']. 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2017.</ref> Historical evidence suggests that the species could have possibly perished due to over-collection for medicinal use.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Raye |first=Lee |date=2017 |title=Frogs in pre-industrial Britain |url=https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-journal/volume-27-number-4-october-2017/1056-08-frogs-in-pre-industrial-britain |journal=Herpetological Journal |language=en-gb |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=368–378}}</ref> [[Celtic Reptile & Amphibian|Celtic Rewilding]] have proposed a reintroduction to the UK.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barkham |first=Patrick |date=2021-01-10 |title='Who doesn't love a turtle?' The teenage boys on a mission – to rewild Britain with reptiles |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/10/who-doesnt-love-a-turtle-the-teenage-boys-on-a-mission-to-rewild-britain-with-reptiles |access-date=2023-11-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Avery |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Guest blog by Celtic Reptile and Amphibian |url=https://markavery.info/2021/01/14/guest-blog-by-celtic-reptile-and-amphibian/ }}</ref> It has been reintroduced to Latvia.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
Males can be distinguished from females by their browny-yellowy, large (folded) vocal sacs in the throat region. The [[amplexus]] is axillary (in the armpits). Both adult males and females reach sizes up to 30-40 mm, rarily longer than 45 mm. The smooth, shining, usually leaf-green back and the white-yellowish to grey belly are separated by a dark stripe on its flank reaching from the nostrils, over the eye and the eardrum, to the [[groin]], contrasting the green, and forming a dark spot near the hips. The hind legs are much larger and stronger than the fore legs, which enables to jump rapidly.


European tree frogs can be found in marshlands, damp meadows, reed beds, parks, gardens,<ref name="Haltenorth"/> vineyards, orchards, stream banks, lake shores,<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/> or humid or dry forests.<ref name="Duellman"/> They tend to avoid dark or thick forests,<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/> and they are able to tolerate some periods of dryness; therefore, sometimes they are found in dry [[habitat]]s.<ref name="Duellman"/>
===Calls===
Some frog species look so identical the frogs cannot discern the difference between their species and a different species. To overcome this difficulty, each frog species has a specific call that the male innately knows and performs. Thus, the females can recognize their specific species’ mating call and respond to it by following the call. It is always impressive, that such a small froglet have this very loud voice. They are the loudest frogs of Europe, because of their large [[larynx]] (about one-fifth of the body length). The croaking sounds like a strong rithmic 'creck-creck-creck-creck...' and resemble the call of the [[Baillon's Crake]] (''Porzana pusilla'') and the [[Little Crake]] (''Porzana parva''). In late afternoon or dusk, ''H. arborea'' starts to call sometimes throughout the night. Calling and breeding activity probably begins in warm nights at late April. The call of ''H. arborea'' is very characteristic and easy identifable, so this fact helps to determinate these frogs in their natural habitats.


===Mating===
== Behavior ==
*Historically, tree frogs were used as [[barometer]]s because they respond to approaching rain by croaking.<ref name="Stock"/>
Between the months of April and August, Squirrel Treefrogs of at least one year old begin to mate. Once the male and female find each other, amplexus, the term for the embrace between the male and the female begins. The male, because of its smaller size, goes on top of the female. Fertilization is external, with the female’s eggs laid during amplexus. Next, the male sheds sperm over the up to 1000 usually individually deposited eggs and fertilization transpires. Females usually lay eggs twice a mating season.
*Depending on [[subspecies]], temperature, humidity, and the frog's 'mood', skin colour ranges from bright to olive green, grey, brown and yellow.<ref name="Stock"/>
*European tree frogs eat a variety of small [[arthropod]]s,<ref name="Duellman"/> such as spiders, flies, beetles, butterflies, and smooth caterpillars.<ref name="Haltenorth"/> Their ability to take long leaps allows them to catch fast-flying insects, which make up most of their diets.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/>
*They [[hibernation|hibernate]] in walls, cellars, under rocks, under clumps of vegetation, or buried in leaf piles or manure piles.<ref name=Wells>Wells, K. D. ‘‘The Ecology of Behavior of Amphibians.’’ The University of Chicago, 2007.</ref>


===Spawn===
==Reproduction==
[[File:XN Hyla arborea 01.ogg|thumbnail|right|''Male chorus'']]
Eggs are deposited mostly during [[May]], with the earliest [[spawn]] observed at the end of March. The clusters of spawn (each consisting of 10 to 50 eggs) are as big as [[walnut]]s and are deposited in shallow places grown with water plants. The top of every egg is brown and the bottom yellowy white. The diameter of an egg lies between 1.5 to 2 millimeter. After the deposition the eggs come together in clusters in order that the animal pole, which is pigmented brown and yellow, points upward and the vegetative pole, which is white and unpigmented, points downward.
[[File:Hyla arborea - 2014-05-21.webm|thumb|thumbtime=1:35|Calling males at night]]
European tree frogs reproduce in stagnant bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, swamps, reservoirs, and sometimes puddles,<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> from late March to June.<ref name="Haltenorth"/> They croak in the breeding season, even when migrating to their mating pools or ponds.<ref name="Stock"/> Males will often change breeding ponds, even within the same breeding season.<ref name=Lardner>Lardner, B. (2000). Morphological and life history responses to predators in larvae of seven anurans. ''Oikos'', 88(1): 169–180.</ref> After a spring rain, the males will call females from low vegetation or shallow ponds.<ref name="Duellman"/> About 800 to 1000 eggs are laid in clumps the size of a walnut.<ref name="Duellman"/><ref name="Haltenorth"/> Individual eggs are about 1.5&nbsp;mm in diameter. After 10–14 days, the eggs hatch. Then, after three months, [[tadpole]]s metamorphose into frogs.<ref name="Haltenorth"/> [[Metamorphosis]] usually peaks from late July to early August.<ref name="Lardner"/> They are able to live for up to 15 years.<ref name="Haltenorth"/>


==Conservation status==
The time of development of the clutches depends on the prevailing water temperatures. Clusters that sink to the bottom of the water develop considerably slower than those which are exposed to the sunlight directly under the surface of the water.
According to the [[IUCN Red List|IUCN Red List of Endangered Species]], ''H. arborea'' is “listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.”<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> However, according to the IUCN, the [[population growth|population trend]] of ''H. arborea'' is decreasing.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />
Some of the main threats to European tree frogs include [[habitat fragmentation]] and destruction, pollution of wetlands, predation from fish, capture for the pet trade,<ref name=AmphibiaWeb /><ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> and [[climate change]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}} Besides these main threats, other possible reasons for the decline in their populations include increased [[Ultraviolet|UVB radiation]] and local and far-ranging pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/> Trout have been observed preying on European tree frogs, and in Europe, trout introduced into a pond result in a significant decline in their population.
While ''H. arborea'' is sensitive to habitat fragmentation, [[habitat restoration]] (beginning in the 1980s) has been successful to increase populations. Besides habitat restoration, other attempts to increase population have included building of new breeding ponds, creation of “habitat corridors to connect breeding sites”, and reintroductions. This has been successful in Sweden, Latvia, and Denmark.<ref name="Wells"/> Habitat protection has been shown to be the most important approach to conserving European tree frog populations.<ref name="AmphibiaWeb"/>


===Distribution===
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Widely distributed throughout Europe from the [[Ukraine]] and [[Belarus]] to the [[Balkan]], [[Crete]], [[Italy]], the [[Benelux]], [[Germany]], most of [[France]] and the northwestern [[Iberian peninsula]]. Absent in the [[British Isles]], the majority of [[Scandinavia]] and [[Denmark]], the [[Alps]] and small northern parts of the [[Netherlands]] and Germany.
File:P7101931.JPG
File:Hyla arborea (Marek Szczepanek).jpg
File:Tree frog in Romania.JPG
File:Hyla arborea01.jpg
File:Laubfrosch-wiki.jpg
File:Romanian European Tree Frog.JPG
File:Hyla arborea var. molleri (Hello folks).jpg|Formerly included in the European tree frog, the form ''molleri'' is now recognized as its own species, the [[Iberian tree frog]]
File:HylaArboreaTadpole+Metam.jpg|''Hyla arborea'' [[tadpole]] and metamorph
File:HylaArboreaLarva.JPG|Tadpole with hind legs
File:HylaArboreaSpawnHatching2.JPG|Newborn tadpoles hatching from [[Spawn (biology)|frogspawn]]
File:Boomkikkers bij Witteveen - SoundCloud - luc de bruijn.ogg|European tree frogs in {{Interlanguage link multi|Witte Veen|nl}}
</gallery>


== References ==
==Mediterranean tree frog==
{{Commons category|Hyla arborea}}
[[Image:Hyla meriodionalis 1.jpg|220 px|thumb| ''Hyla meridionalis'' ]]
{{Wikispecies|Hyla arborea}}
Resembles the common tree frog, but is larger (some females up to 65 mm), has longer hindlegs, and the flank stripe only reaches to the front legs (often starting at the eyes, not at the nostrils). The croaking resembles that of the common tree frog, but it is deeper and slower: 'wroar... wroar... wroar'.


{{Reflist}}
===Distribution===
Southern France, northern [[Catalonia]], southern [[Portugal]] and [[Spain]], also in [[Menorca]] and [[Madeira]].


{{Authority control}}


{{Taxonbar|from=Q2142057}}
{{Commons|Hyla arborea}}
<br clear="all">

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:Hyla_arborea_(Marek_Szczepanek).jpg
Image:Hyla arborea01.jpg
Image:Hyla sarda.jpg
</gallery>


[[Category:Frogs]]
[[Category:Hyla]]
[[Category:Amphibians of Europe]]
[[Category:Least concern biota of Europe]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Amphibians described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]


[[Category:Amphibians]]
[[gl:Estroza]]
[[da:Løvfrø]]
[[de:Europäischer Laubfrosch]]
[[fr:Hyla]]
[[lt:Medvarl&#279;]]
[[nl:Europese boomkikker]]
[[pl:Rzekotka drzewna]]

Latest revision as of 17:16, 27 November 2024

European tree frog
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Hyla
Species:
H. arborea
Binomial name
Hyla arborea
Range as defined by the IUCN in 2009. Some populations (Iberian Peninsula, parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey, and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions) are now recognized as separate species
Synonyms[2]
  • Hyla viridis Laurenti, 1768
  • Rana arborea Linnaeus, 1758
  • Rana hyla Linnaeus, 1758

The European tree frog (Hyla arborea) is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,[3] but based on molecular genetic and other data several populations formerly included in it are now recognized as separate species (for example, H. intermedia of Italy and nearby, H. molleri of the Iberian Peninsula, H. meridionalis of parts of southwestern Europe and northern Africa, and H. orientalis of parts of Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions), limiting the true European tree frog to Europe from France to Poland and Greece.[4][5][6]

Description

[edit]
European tree frog (Hyla arborea) in Kapıçam National Park, Kahramanmaraş

European tree frogs are small; males range from 32–43 mm (1.3–1.7 in) in length, and females range from 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) in length. They are slender, with long legs.[4] Their dorsal skin is smooth, while their ventral skin is granular. Their dorsal skin can be green, gray, or tan depending on the temperature, humidity, or their mood. Their ventral skin is a whitish color, and the dorsal and ventral skin is separated by a dark brown lateral stripe from the eyes to the groin. Females have white throats, while males have golden brown throats[7] with large (folded) vocal sacs. The head of H. arborea is rounded, the lip drops strongly, the pupil has the shape of a horizontal ellipse, and the tympanum is clearly recognizable. The discs on the frog's toes, which it uses to climb trees and hedges, is a characteristic feature of H. arborea . Like other frogs, their hind legs are much larger and stronger than the fore legs, enabling the frogs to jump rapidly.[5]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Members of the H. arborea species complex are the only representatives of the widespread tree frog family (Hylidae) indigenous to mainland Europe.[5] and are found across most of Europe (except Ireland),[5][6][8][9] northwest Africa, and temperate Asia to Japan.[7] This species complex is native to these countries:

Albania; Armenia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; the Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Israel (found in the Ayalon Valley); Italy; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the Republic of; Moldova; Montenegro; the Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; the Russian Federation; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; Ukraine.[10][1]

In the United Kingdom, the species status is contested. It has been introduced,[10] but at least one British population, now thought to be extinct, may have been native.[11] Historical evidence suggests that the species could have possibly perished due to over-collection for medicinal use.[12] Celtic Rewilding have proposed a reintroduction to the UK.[13][14] It has been reintroduced to Latvia.[1]

European tree frogs can be found in marshlands, damp meadows, reed beds, parks, gardens,[7] vineyards, orchards, stream banks, lake shores,[10] or humid or dry forests.[4] They tend to avoid dark or thick forests,[10] and they are able to tolerate some periods of dryness; therefore, sometimes they are found in dry habitats.[4]

Behavior

[edit]
  • Historically, tree frogs were used as barometers because they respond to approaching rain by croaking.[5]
  • Depending on subspecies, temperature, humidity, and the frog's 'mood', skin colour ranges from bright to olive green, grey, brown and yellow.[5]
  • European tree frogs eat a variety of small arthropods,[4] such as spiders, flies, beetles, butterflies, and smooth caterpillars.[7] Their ability to take long leaps allows them to catch fast-flying insects, which make up most of their diets.[10]
  • They hibernate in walls, cellars, under rocks, under clumps of vegetation, or buried in leaf piles or manure piles.[15]

Reproduction

[edit]
Male chorus
Calling males at night

European tree frogs reproduce in stagnant bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, swamps, reservoirs, and sometimes puddles,[1] from late March to June.[7] They croak in the breeding season, even when migrating to their mating pools or ponds.[5] Males will often change breeding ponds, even within the same breeding season.[16] After a spring rain, the males will call females from low vegetation or shallow ponds.[4] About 800 to 1000 eggs are laid in clumps the size of a walnut.[4][7] Individual eggs are about 1.5 mm in diameter. After 10–14 days, the eggs hatch. Then, after three months, tadpoles metamorphose into frogs.[7] Metamorphosis usually peaks from late July to early August.[16] They are able to live for up to 15 years.[7]

Conservation status

[edit]

According to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, H. arborea is “listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.”[1] However, according to the IUCN, the population trend of H. arborea is decreasing.[1] Some of the main threats to European tree frogs include habitat fragmentation and destruction, pollution of wetlands, predation from fish, capture for the pet trade,[10][1] and climate change.[citation needed] Besides these main threats, other possible reasons for the decline in their populations include increased UVB radiation and local and far-ranging pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants.[10] Trout have been observed preying on European tree frogs, and in Europe, trout introduced into a pond result in a significant decline in their population. While H. arborea is sensitive to habitat fragmentation, habitat restoration (beginning in the 1980s) has been successful to increase populations. Besides habitat restoration, other attempts to increase population have included building of new breeding ponds, creation of “habitat corridors to connect breeding sites”, and reintroductions. This has been successful in Sweden, Latvia, and Denmark.[15] Habitat protection has been shown to be the most important approach to conserving European tree frog populations.[10]

[edit]
  • Formerly included in the European tree frog, the form molleri is now recognized as its own species, the Iberian tree frog
    Formerly included in the European tree frog, the form molleri is now recognized as its own species, the Iberian tree frog
  • Hyla arborea tadpole and metamorph
    Hyla arborea tadpole and metamorph
  • Tadpole with hind legs
    Tadpole with hind legs
  • Newborn tadpoles hatching from frogspawn
    Newborn tadpoles hatching from frogspawn
  • European tree frogs in Witte Veen [nl]

References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hyla arborea.
Wikispecies has information related to Hyla arborea.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (2022). "Hyla arborea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T82496838A82495296. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T82496838A82495296.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Hyla arborea (Linnaeus, 1758)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  3. ^ Frost, Darrel R. Amphibian Species of the World. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Duellman, William E. (2003). Grzimek's Animal Encyclopedia. 2nd Ed., Vol. 2. Gale, p. 235.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Stöck M., Dubey S., Klütsch C., Litvinchuk S.N., Scheidt U., and Perrin N. (2008). Mitochondrial and nuclear phylogeny of circum-Mediterranean tree frogs from the Hyla arborea group. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49: 1019-1024.
  6. ^ a b Stöck M., Dufresnes C., Litvinchuk S.N., Lymberakis P., Biollay S., Berroneau M., Borzée A., Ghali K., Ogielska M., and Perrin N. (2012). Cryptic diversity among Western Palearctic tree frogs: Postglacial range expansion, range limits, and secondary contacts of three European tree frog lineages (Hyla arborea group). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 1-9.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Haltenorth, T. (1979). British and European Mammals, Amphibians, and Reptiles. Irwin & Co. Ltd., p. 126.
  8. ^ Masó, A. and M. Pijoan (2011). Anfibios y reptiles de la península ibérica, Baleares y Canarias (in Spanish) Barcelona: Omega. Pp. 848. ISBN 978-84-282-1368-4
  9. ^ Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4 (8 April 2010). Frost, Darrel R. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "Hyla arborea". Amphibiaweb.org. 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
  11. ^ Naish, Darren. Britain’s lost tree frogs: sigh, not another ‘neglected native’. 2007. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  12. ^ Raye, Lee (2017). "Frogs in pre-industrial Britain". Herpetological Journal. 27 (4): 368–378.
  13. ^ Barkham, Patrick (2021-01-10). "'Who doesn't love a turtle?' The teenage boys on a mission – to rewild Britain with reptiles". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  14. ^ Mark, Avery (January 14, 2021). "Guest blog by Celtic Reptile and Amphibian".
  15. ^ a b Wells, K. D. ‘‘The Ecology of Behavior of Amphibians.’’ The University of Chicago, 2007.
  16. ^ a b Lardner, B. (2000). Morphological and life history responses to predators in larvae of seven anurans. Oikos, 88(1): 169–180.
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