Tree frog

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Organisms

iTree frogs
Red-eyed Tree Frog, Agalychnis callidryas
Red-eyed Tree Frog, Agalychnis callidryas
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Distribution of Hylidae (in black)
Distribution of Hylidae (in black)
Genera

See text.

Tree frogs are frogs of the family Hylidae. There is large variation within the tree frogs. Many of the arboreal frogs are green in colour, whereas the terrestrial and aquatic species are duller. They mostly feed on insects, however some of the larger species can feed on small vertebrates. Many of the tree frogs are not arboreal, and can be terrestrial or aquatic. The species within the genus Cyclorana are burrowing frogs, sometimes spending many years underground.

Types of tree frog

The European tree frogs such as Hyla arborea are common in the middle and south of the continent, and range into Asia and the north of Africa. The species become very noisy on the approach of rain, and are sometimes kept in confinement as a kind of barometer.

In North America there are many species of tree frog, including Hyla versicolor, a species of grey treefrog, and Hyla cinerea, the green tree frog. The spring peeper is also widespread in the eastern United States and commonly heard on summer and spring evenings.

The tree toad is a popular name for several of the Hylidae. Hyla versicolor is the changeable tree toad, Trachycephalus lichenatus is the lichened, and T. marmoratus the marbled tree toad.

Classification

The family of the tree frogs is subdivided in 4 subfamilies and 37-39 genera.

  • Pelodryadinae (Austro-Papuan tree frogs)
    • Cyclorana
    • Litoria
    • Nyctimystes
  • Phyllomedusinae (Leaf frogs)
    • Agalychnis
    • Cruziohyla
    • Hylomantis
    • Pachymedusa
Hyla versicolor, the grey treefrog
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Hyla versicolor, the grey treefrog
    • Phasmahyla
    • Phrynomedusa
    • Phyllomedusa
  • Hemiphractinae
    • Cryptobatrachus
    • Flectonotus
    • Gastrotheca
    • Hemiphractus
    • Stefania
  • Hylinae
Stoney Creek Frog (Litoria wilcoxi)
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Stoney Creek Frog (Litoria wilcoxi)
    • Acris
    • Anotheca
    • Aparasphenodon
    • Aplastodiscus
    • Argenteohyla
    • Bokermannohyla
    • Bromeliohyla
    • Charadrahyla
    • Corythomantis
    • Dendropsophus
    • Duellmanohyla
    • Ecnomiohyla
    • Exerodonta
    • Hyla
Japanese Tree Frog (Hyla japonica)
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Japanese Tree Frog (Hyla japonica)
    • Hyloscirtus
    • Hypsiboas
    • Isthmohyla
    • Itapotihyla
    • Lysapsus
    • Megastomatohyla
    • Myersiohyla
    • Nyctimantis
    • Osteocephalus
Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis)
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Cuban Tree Frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis)
    • Osteopilus
    • Phyllodytes
    • Plectrohyla
    • Pseudacris
    • Pseudis
    • Ptychohyla
    • Scarthyla
    • Scinax
    • Smilisca
    • Sphaenorhynchus
    • Tepuihyla
    • Tlalocohyla
    • Trachycephalus
    • Triprion
    • Xenohyla


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