tree frog

References

Images

Costa Rican flying tree frog (Agalychnis spurrelli).

A European tree frog, Hyla arborea, clings to a vertical grass stem against a smooth green background.

tree frog

amphibian, family Hylidae

Also known as: Hylidae, hylid, true tree frog

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Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

tree frog — tree frog Tree frog in the flower of a lily plant.

Tree frogs are a diverse group of over 800 species of typically arboreal frogs found on all continents except Antarctica. They belong to several families, with the most numerous being the "true" tree frogs of the family Hylidae. Hylids are generally slender, less than 10 cm (4 inches) long, with long legs and adhesive disks on their fingers and toes that aid in climbing. Their skin is often lustrous and can vary widely in color.1

Most tree frogs lay their eggs in water, and their tadpoles hatch and drop into the water below. Some species build nests, while others lay eggs in water collected in plants. A unique species, Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frog, is the only known amphibian pollinator. Tree frogs are found in various habitats, from tropical rainforests to temperate regions.12

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tree frog
…tree frogs from the family Hylidae are the most numerous. Hylids are usually slender, less than 10 cm (4 inches) in length, and long-legged, and they possess enlarged adhesive disks on the tips of the fingers and toes that aid in climbing. They often possess jewel-like eyes that glint with…
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…tree frogs from the family Hylidae are the most numerous. Hylids are usually slender, less than 10 cm (4 inches) in length, and long-legged, and they possess enlarged adhesive disks on the tips of the fingers and toes that aid in climbing. They often possess jewel-like eyes that glint with…
Read More

frog and toad
Annotated classification
Family Hylidae (tree frogs) Miocene (23 million–5.3 million years ago) to present; 8 presacral vertebrae; pectoral girdle arciferal; intercalary cartilages present; omosternum absent; Bidder’s organ absent; maxillary teeth usually present; terminal phalanges claw-shaped; astragalus and calcaneum not fused; aquatic larvae or direct development; 37 genera and…
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Family Hylidae (tree frogs) Miocene (23 million–5.3 million years ago) to present; 8 presacral vertebrae; pectoral girdle arciferal; intercalary cartilages present; omosternum absent; Bidder’s organ absent; maxillary teeth usually present; terminal phalanges claw-shaped; astragalus and calcaneum not fused; aquatic larvae or direct development; 37 genera and…
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frog and toad
Coloration
Several tree frogs, rough-skinned and greenish gray, resemble lichens when flattened out on tree trunks. The coloration of many frogs changes from night to day. In most species the colour is darker and the pattern more distinct by day than by night, but the reverse is…
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Several tree frogs, rough-skinned and greenish gray, resemble lichens when flattened out on tree trunks. The coloration of many frogs changes from night to day. In most species the colour is darker and the pattern more distinct by day than by night, but the reverse is…
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sound reception
Auditory sensitivity of amphibians
In the treefrog, these same responses have been found in a range that extended from 50 to 3,000 hertz, with the greatest sensitivity from 600 to 800 hertz, and again at 2,000 hertz.
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In the treefrog, these same responses have been found in a range that extended from 50 to 3,000 hertz, with the greatest sensitivity from 600 to 800 hertz, and again at 2,000 hertz.
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frog and toad
Size range and diversity of structure
…frogs—especially members of the families Hylidae, Rhacophoridae, Centrolenidae, and others—have adhesive disks on the ends of the fingers and toes and leap from branch to branch or from leaf to leaf (see tree frog). The families Bufonidae, Rhinophrynidae, and Microhylidae and certain burrowing species in other families have relatively short…
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…frogs—especially members of the families Hylidae, Rhacophoridae, Centrolenidae, and others—have adhesive disks on the ends of the fingers and toes and leap from branch to branch or from leaf to leaf (see tree frog). The families Bufonidae, Rhinophrynidae, and Microhylidae and certain burrowing species in other families have relatively short…
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amphibian
Reproduction
Centrolenids and phyllomedusine hylids deposit eggs on vegetation above streams or ponds; upon hatching, the tadpoles (anuran larvae) drop into the water where they continue to develop throughout their larval stage. Some species from the families Leptodactylidae and Rhacophoridae create foam nests for their eggs in aquatic, terrestrial,…
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Centrolenids and phyllomedusine hylids deposit eggs on vegetation above streams or ponds; upon hatching, the tadpoles (anuran larvae) drop into the water where they continue to develop throughout their larval stage. Some species from the families Leptodactylidae and Rhacophoridae create foam nests for their eggs in aquatic, terrestrial,…
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sleep
The nature of sleep
Tree frogs (genus Hyla), on the other hand, show diminished sensitivity as they move from a state of behavioral activity to one of rest. Yet, the EEGs of the alert rest of the bullfrog and the sleeplike rest of the tree frog are the same.
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Tree frogs (genus Hyla), on the other hand, show diminished sensitivity as they move from a state of behavioral activity to one of rest. Yet, the EEGs of the alert rest of the bullfrog and the sleeplike rest of the tree frog are the same.
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frog and toad
From tadpole to adult
Some tree frogs of the family Hylidae deposit their eggs in water that has pooled in parts of trees. Several tropical species of Hyla lay their eggs in the water held in the overlapping bases of leaves of epiphytic bromeliads high in trees. Their tadpoles, which…
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Some tree frogs of the family Hylidae deposit their eggs in water that has pooled in parts of trees. Several tropical species of Hyla lay their eggs in the water held in the overlapping bases of leaves of epiphytic bromeliads high in trees. Their tadpoles, which…
Read More