Beautiful Frog Needs to be Identified

June 11, 2007 5:35 PM

Name This Frog. He was captured on digimedia a month ago in Palm Springs, Ca. It was just below a spring in one of the Indian Canyons.

After tons of googling and asking my "smart" friends, we've come up with no background on this little guy. He's an awesome little specimen. Please help me identify him/her.

posted by snsranch to Science & Nature (10 answers total)

Best answer: Based on the options here and the information here it looks like it could be a California tree frog.
posted by nobodyyouknow at 5:52 PM on June 11, 2007

I agree with nobodyyouknow. It looks like the California tree frog, Hyla Californiae. Hard to tell, though. Do you have any other pictures?
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:54 PM on June 11, 2007

I thought it was a Gray Tree Frog at first until I realized that they aren't native to CA. Tree frogs are the chameleons of the frog world, and it's obvious that the little guy is blending in with his background, so the California Tree Frog guess is a good one.
posted by iconomy at 5:58 PM on June 11, 2007

Another vote for California treefrog. Found through this page, if you want to check out other possibilities.
posted by dilettante at 5:58 PM on June 11, 2007

Response by poster: Sorry no more pics. That's the only one that's not wobbly.

But in any case, it seems that nobodyyouknow is right on. So thank you for the info and links. (You made that look way too easy BTW.)

On preview, thanks to all you answerers. This is good stuff!
posted by snsranch at 6:07 PM on June 11, 2007

Response by poster:
iconomy, yea, chameleon is a good description. I was pretty taken aback seeing a stone colored frog in the desert.

penciltopper: Steve works for me.
posted by snsranch at 6:32 PM on June 11, 2007

Aw, I thought we were going to get to name the frog ourselves. Rana Hopkinsii!
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 6:33 PM on June 11, 2007 [1 favorite]

Bah. That's a Gray Tree. They're native all over the U.S. - distribution maps for amphibians get old. I've seen Grays in Oregon.
posted by Baby_Balrog at 6:46 PM on June 11, 2007

Baby_Balrog, that's interesting. It looks similar to a Gray Treefrog, and distribution maps certainly change over time, but the most recent map that I can find for the Gray Treefrog, here, shows its western limit in central Texas. Is it possible that the Gray has moved that far west since 2000? An undated map here shows a similar distribution.

Also, this site, specializing in California reptiles and amphibians indicates that there are only two treefrogs in California, the Pacific Treefrog and the California Treefrog.
posted by nobodyyouknow at 11:52 PM on June 11, 2007

His name is Jerry, we met at this desert mixer a couple years back. Say hi to him for me.

:)
posted by ThFullEffect at 6:33 PM on June 12, 2007