Life History of Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center’s Gray Tree Frog

Carpenter Nature Center’s Gray Tree Frog was found in the basement of the Administration Building in September of 2010. It is likely that the frog entered the building seeking shelter from the sun or  cold weather and couldn’t find food or water once he was indoors.  When naturalist gave him water and food he recovered quickly. The tree frog’s age is unknown, as he was a typical adult gray color when he was found. We do know the tree frog is a male, due to the gray coloration under his throat and the fact he trills. A tree frog’s trill is a call males make to attract females.

Carpenter Nature Center’s tree frog is a wonderful ambassador, teaching thousands of visitors every year about our natural environment and the diversity of wildlife life found in our region. Our frog will live a comfortable life with humans, as he is provided with all the food he needs and safety from predators. He may even live to be over eight years old.

It is common to find tree frogs living near your home, especially if you have woodlands and wetlands nearby. A few lucky homeowners have frogs who use their porch lights like an all night diner as the light attracts insects. Sadly 1/3 of the world’s amphibians are threatened or endangered. To help local frogs please do not use pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.  These chemicals are washed into local waterways and cause    deformities in developing tadpoles and death in adult frogs.  If you have a frog as a pet, please do not release it back to the wild. Captive frogs may have an infectious disease that could spread to the wild population. Instead consider donating the frog to a local nature center or to a classroom teacher.