| Photo Information |
Copyright: Iulian Gherghel (IulianGherghel)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 152 W: 1 N: 347]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (1226) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2008-01-31 |
| Categories: Amphibians |
| Camera: Samsung S730 |
| Exposure: f/7.1, 1/90 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-05-10 23:21 |
| Viewed: 303 |
| Points: 12 |
|
| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The European tree frog is a small frog that can grow to a maximum length of 4.5 cm. Historically, tree frogs were used as barometers because they respond to approaching rain by croaking. They also croak in the breeding season, even when migrating to their mating pools. 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.
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, rarely 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, enabling the frog to jump rapidly.
Some frog species look so similar that the frogs cannot discern the difference between their species and another. 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 can have such a 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 rhythmic '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 easily identifiable, which helps in finding these frogs in their natural habitats.
Widely distributed throughout Europe from the Ukraine and Belarus to the Balkans, 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.
The Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) is a species of toad of the family Pelobatidae, native to an area extending from central Europe to western Asia. It is also commonly known as the Garlic Toad, the Common Spadefoot Toad and the European Common Spadefoot.
The common spadefoot grows to a length of approximately 6.5 cm for males and 8 cm for females. The skin colouration varies depending upon habitat, gender and region, but is usually light-grey to beige-brown on the dorsal surface. The skin is mottled by darker marks that differ between individuals. The belly is white, sometimes with grey mottling. Albino specimens have been observed.
When alarmed, it can exude a noxious secretion which bears a garlic odour; hence the common name: "garlic toad".
source wikipedia |
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