It's Tree Frog Week on iNaturalist! Apr 10 - Apr 17, 2016

The Critter Calendar makes a return to the world of, well, critters - it’s Tree Frog Week!

The Hylidae family of frogs is often known as “tree frogs and their allies” because of its large diversity, which includes many of what we traditionally think of as tree frogs, like the iconic Red-eyed Tree Frog, as well as frogs which don’t live arboreal lives at all. There are about 900 species in the family and they are found throughout much of the world, excepting sub-Saharan Africa and northern Eurasia. Many species are concentrated in the Americas and in Australia and Oceania.

Hylinae - this large subfamily has a wide distribution and includes the European Tree Frog, which is found throughout Europe, northern Africa, and temperate parts of Asia east to Japan. Other notable members include the Spring Peeper, which is found in eastern North America, and the Brazilian Heart-tongued Frogs, which live and breed in bromeliads. The tadpole of the Paradoxical Frog grows huge (up to 10” long!) but morphs into an adult that is perhaps one quarter of that size. This subfamily is also home to the world’s only known venomous frogs, described last year.

Pelodryadinae - the Austro-Papuan tree frogs. Found in Oceania, there are over 160 species in this subfamily. The Australian Green Tree Frog (aka White’s Tree Frog) is commonly found around dwellings and is commonly sold in the pet trade. They are members of the genus Litoria, which are distinguished by having horizontal irises. This subfamily also includes the Cyclorana genus of burrowing frogs, which are completely terrestrial. These frogs live in dry areas, remaining dormant underground for up to five years until big rains bring them to the surface. They lack toe pads.