Hyla of the Pine Woods — Part 3

Hyla femoralis Latreille

Structure.—Smooth everywhere; skin of extremely fine texture. Jaw acuminate rounded; head broad, with large eyes widely separated. Truncate muzzle extends somewhat beyond the line of the jaw. Canthus rostralis prominent; long converging lines extend forward to the end of the muzzle. Nostrils terminal or nearly so. Vomerine teeth oblique, between the large internal nostrils. Pupil horizontal. Ear distinct; vertically oval; large (its horizontal diameter slightly more than half the diameter of the eye); and very near the line of the jaw. Slight fold of skin from eye over ear to shoulder.

Range.—Found at Helotes, Texas (near San Antonio).

Colour.—"Reddish brown. The loreal region, a band between the eyes, one above the tympanum, and some dorsal spots, darker. Beneath, light brownish."

Measurements.—Size small, i. e. length little over one inch. Head longer than broad. Leg measurement to heel equals body measurement forward to the eye.

Structure.—Skin smooth above and below. Sides roughened.

Range.—Key West, Florida. A wanderer from Cuba.

Colour.—"Light purplish-brown, spotted with rather small, closely placed, and broadly defined dark spots. Spots less distinct on the head." Legs light, cross-banded with dark. Posterior femur brown, with a few light spots. Underparts light, unspotted.

Measurements.—Size small, i. e. length 1 1/2 inches. Head long. Legs unusually short, length to heel scarcely equalling length of body forward to ear.

Structure.—Skin smooth. Head acuminate rounded. Muzzle flat, long in front of the eyes, and projecting slightly beyond the line of the jaw. Space between eyes much greater than width of eyelid. Ear round, about half the diameter of the eye. Arms and legs slender. Fingers and toes blunt at the ends, with moderate sized T-shaped disks. Tubercles under the joints large.

Range.—The only specimens known are from Helotes, Texas.

Hyla femoralis is a tree frog that, as far as known, lives high in the pine trees of the Southern States. It is not as large as the Common Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor), but bears a somewhat close resemblance to it in body proportions, in colour, and in markings. It can always be known by certain definite points, as follows: It is distinguished from Hyla versicolor by the dark line through the ear and by the lack of a white spot under the eye. Also, the posterior surface of the femur is brown, spotted with light colour, not reticulated as in Hyla versicolor. This spotting on the posterior femur will always distinguish it also from Hyla squirella, the common tree frog at the South.

Nothing is on record regarding its life history or habits.

This tree frog is one of the largest found in North America. It bears a superficial resemblance to Hyla versicolor, the Common Tree Frog, but can always be recognized by definite characteristics, as follows: The head is more deeply angled along the line of the canthus rostralis. The body is relatively longer, the head narrower; the skin is less tubercular. The ear is much larger. The black patch on the shoulder and the white one encircling the arm at its insertion are peculiar to this species, while, on the other hand, this frog lacks the reticulations on the posterior surface of the femur characteristic of Hyla versicolor.

Smilisca baudinii is like Hyla versicolor, also, in its sluggish tendencies. When it is aroused, it is a powerful leaper.

Its colour changes are no less remarkable than is usual among the members of the Hylidae. It may change rapidly from a dark unspotted condition to a light unspotted condition, through medium shades displaying a conspicuous colour pattern. For instance, we remove it from its hiding-place under moss and leaves, and find it nearly black. Put it in bright light and watch. Slowly the colour becomes less dusky and the pattern begins to appear. It is most conspicuous in its outlines, which gradually become bright green lines. As the brown of the background lightens, it seems to get an admixture of green not seen unless the frog is looked at closely. The green becomes more prominent, seeming to spread outward from the vivid green of the lines bounding the pattern of spots and bars, until the whole upper surface of the frog is green. The dark colour pattern becomes lighter and lighter, the green continues to lighten until the frog is most beautiful in a dress of light yellow green with spots of gold or fawn colour. Within a few minutes more, the spots have wholly disappeared leaving the frog plain green.