Backyard Nature Wednesday: Little green treefrog

Sitting on my patio the other morning, I happened to spy a spot of green where there shouldn't have been any green. I looked closer and here is what I discovered.

It's a little green treefrog! Surely one of my very favorite backyard critters. He was pretending that the leg of one of my patio chairs was a tree trunk. He was sure that he was wearing his cloak of invisibility and that I could not see him, so I went for my camera and started recording his visit.

Here is a side view that shows that wonderful eye and his white lateral stripe. Isn't he adorable?
Green treefrogs (Hyla cinerea) are typically 1 1/4 to 2 1/4 inches in length. I think this one was about 2 inches. They are usually bright green, like this little guy, but their color can be variable. 

Their range includes most of the southeastern part of the country all the way to the middle of Texas and right up the Atlantic Coast all the way to Maryland and perhaps beyond. 

In our area, they are known to breed anytime from March to October, so it's possible this one was looking for a mate. If so, I hope he (she?) finds one. The world needs more little green treefrogs.  

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