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Tree frog


Tree frog
Photo Information
Copyright: Iulian Gherghel (IulianGherghel) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 152 W: 2 N: 359] (1342)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-03-30
Categories: Amphibians
Camera: HP Photosmart 945, 2 GB, SD card
Exposure: f/4.8, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-03 6:46
Viewed: 1503
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Hyla arborea
Common Tree Frog

IUCN (Red List) - Near Threatened (NT)

Description
Vomerine teeth present. Tongue more or less free posteriorly. Pupil of the eye horizontal. Toes webbed. Tips of fingers and toes expanded into discs. Tympanic membrane smaller than eye. When the hind leg is stretched along the body, the tibio-tarsal articulation commonly reaches the anterior edge of the eye. Dorsal skin smooth, ventral skin granular. Dorsal coloration varies from green to light-grey, brown, or almost black depending on substrate color and temperature. Coloration changes depending on substrate. No dark spot below the eye. Ventral surface white or yellowish. Dorsal surface divided from ventral surface by thin, dark, uninterrupted band with outer white edging. This band usually forms an inguinal loop, except for some individuals of H. arborea schelkownikowi. If the inguinal loop is absent, the dark band reaches the inner surface of the groin. A light line bordering lips. Male differs from female by having a large guttural vocal sac (visible externally) which is distinguished by darker skin folds and wrinkles on the throat.

Distribution and Habitat


Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Republic of, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine. Introduced: United Kingdom.

The subspecies H. arborea arborea inhabits almost all of Europe. The northern margin of the range runs approximately from Denmark (Aarhus and Jutland), Sweden (Scania) and the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Lithuania (Vilnius City: 54º41'N, 25º17'E) through Byelorussia (approximately on the line: towns of Oshmyany - Uzda - Slutsk) to southern Russia. From there, the margin runs south- and south-eastwards approximately along the line Bryansk Province - Kursk Province - west of Byelgorod Province (Shebekino District), then southwards in Ukraine from Kharkov City to Dnepropetrovsk Province to Donetsk Province. In Crimea, the frog is known from the southern shore and the extreme northwest of the peninsula. The frog is absent from eastern and southern parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Southern France. H. arborea schelkownikowi lives in the Caucasus. Its northern range runs in Russia approximately from Krasnodar Region along the line Abrau Peninsula in Novorossiik District - Goryachii Klyuch Town - Maikop Town - Stavropol Region (Stavropol City: 45º03'N, 41º59'E). From there, the margin runs in Stavropol Region to the south-east and then to the east: North Ossetia to Chechnya to Daghestan. The subspecies is absent in the highlands of the Great Caucasus. The eastern part of the southern margin of the range runs from the Northern Turkey to Georgia and Azerbaijan. The southern margin of the range is insufficiently known. H. arborea kretensis lives in Crete, Rhodos, Aegean, Peloponnese and the west of Asia Minor; H. arborea molleri in Northwestern Spain and Portugal; H. arborea sarda in Corsica, Sardinia and Elba.

The Common Tree Frog inhabits well-illuminated, broad-leafed and mixed forests, bushlands, gardens, vineyards, orchards, parks, lake shores and stream banks. Dark and dense forests are avoided. Meadows are primarily used for reproduction. In the southern areas of the European part of the range, i.e. in the forest steppe zone, the tree frog inhabits insular forests and dense vegetation of floodplains. In mountains, it lives only in forests and in more or less wet transformed landscapes, and sometimes penetrates the subalpine belt. Spawning occurs in stagnant waters such as lakes, ponds, swamps and reservoirs, sometimes even in ditches and puddles.

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
In suitable habitats in the southern part of the range this is a common amphibian. For example, in the south of the former Soviet Union up to 20 specimens per 100 m of pond shore may be counted in spring. After reproduction, the population density is maximum in river valleys covered with broad-leafed trees.During the day, H. arborea usually sit on the stems and broad leaves of trees, bushes and large herbaceous vegetation. The frog is active primarily in the evening and at night, when it comes down to the ground from vegetation to forage and to rehydrate. During the autumn migration to hibernacula, H. arborea are active during the day. Hibernation occurs on land from September - December to February - early May, on land (in soil, burrows, heaps of stones and holes in trees). Reproduction occurs from April - May, but sometimes in March, June or even late July. As a rule, more males are found in breeding pools than females. Females enter pools after males and leave immediately after breeding. Clutch contains about 200-2000 eggs deposited in portions, usually having the form of small rounded clumps containing from 3 to 100 eggs. Metamorphosis occurs from June to September, depending on the geographic position of a locality. In some cases, the larvae overwinter and complete transformation the following summer. Young froglets in the first time remain on the shore climbing grass and small bushes. Hyla arborea prey mainly on insects. Its ability for long leaps makes it possible to forage on fast flying insects, which comprise a considerable proportion of its food. The frogs forage on land. During the breeding season, adults forage periodically on the shore and on high plant stems above the water surface.

Trends and Threats
The tree frog displays a considerable decline and extinction in the West and Central Europe. It is caused by loss of breeding habitats, habitat isolation and fragmentation, pollution and collecting by people, as well as climate changes. However, in many large areas of its southern part of the range, e.g. in Ukraine and the Caucasus, the species is not rare and does not display population declines.

Relation to Humans
Although some kinds of human activity lead to decline and extinction of populations of H. arborea (see above), construction of a system of fish ponds, ditches, channels etc. sometimes cause local increase in the number of this species.

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat fragmentation
Local pesticides, fertilizers, and pollutants
Long-distance pesticides, toxins, and pollutants
Climate change, increased UVB or increased sensitivity to it, etc.

Comments
Protection of habitats seems to be the most important method of conservation of H. arborea.
Argus, taba, Juyona, gracious, fartash, JoseMiguel, earthtraveler, manyee, XOTAELE has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3824 W: 190 N: 11393] (35107)
  • [2007-09-03 7:04]

Hello Iulian,
You have made a beautiful capture of a European Tree frog, a species that I am very fond of and would love to photograph in Sweden where it is very rare in the south. Excellent detail, unusual POV, composition and neutral BG, the bare reed stem showing it up very well.
Well done and TFS!
Ivan

great note and good note
beautiful picture with good focus and background

bravo

aleks ;)
best regards

Nice shot :)
I like the point of view, with the frog looking into the camera.
Good focus with nice details

Well done
Tatjana

Hi Iulian,
really nice pose with unique angle of shot, the blur background also help to highlight the object, TFS

  • Great 
  • taba Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 481 W: 128 N: 304] (1703)
  • [2007-09-03 7:51]

hi Iulian
Good capture and composition of this green frog..
Good DOF, POV and sharpness, I liked the BG and the position of the frog.
TFS
Taba

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2264 W: 10 N: 2633] (15577)
  • [2007-09-03 9:25]

Hola Iulian,
interesante captura y sensacional pov,
detalles hermosos,
buen trabajo y nota,
saludos

Hi Iulian,
This is so good!
I like so much this twisted pose of the frog, in balance over that thin branch.
The POV works very well, and you managed pretty fine the direct sun light over the insect.
Well done and thanks for share it.
My best regards,
JM

Hello Iulian
Very intersting moment you captured,
Perfect details,DOF and POV,
Fantastic colors ,Welldone.

Regards
Fartash

Hi Julian, splendid frog with perfect focus, and lovely flower, superb details, great sharpness, very well done, ciao Silvio

Hi Iulian,
Great pose/POV of the frog on the reed.
Good DOF, focus, and placement fo frog in frame.
TFS
Richard

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3067 W: 231 N: 6166] (21070)
  • [2007-09-03 17:59]

Now that is a dynamite and dynamic pose, Iulian.
He looks like he is going to jump on me any second.
Super sharp details and excellent exposure.
Love the position of those toes.
TFS. : )

Hello Iulian,
Very interesting well pose of the tree frog!
Perfect sharpness, vivid colour and details on good exposure and focus
thanks for sharing and notes
cheers
Tony

Hola Iulian.
Hermosos colores y fantástico PoV.
Nota bastante extensa e informativa.
Saludos y tfs, JL.

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2007-09-06 19:18]

Hello Iulian, very good and unusual shot of this little frog. Sharp, well composed with a great background. Nice work !

Mario

Bonjour,
Une grenouille acrobate, c'est original !
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Una gran composición con buen enfoque y excelente pose del animal. Buena profundidad y colores reales. Preciosa !!

Saludos : J. Ignasi Tejedor

Bonsoir Iulan
Superbe moment capté ,j'aime beaucoup la position de cette grenouille ,excellente netteté et couleurs
Amitiés

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1339 W: 0 N: 2582] (9107)
  • [2008-09-16 23:10]

Hello Iulian,
a very sharp and clear shot of the frog,. Beautifully rendered with nice posture and ddiagonally across the frame.
Great sharpness and excellent details that highlught the beauty of this amphibia.

regards,
Foozi

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