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RE: Grey Tree Frog, Easy Way To Catch?
Hello, I just registered on this site tonight. This is what I've been looking for for some time now, you guys have already been so helpful!
I came across an older post in the Tree Frog forum, and I decided to resurrect it to help out.
I'm from Oklahoma, and spent some time in the southern part of the state doing research on Grey Tree Frogs (Hyla versicolor). They are PLENTIFUL down in the swampy areas, and are quite easy to catch. We caught and studied around 100 of these guys in two weeks. I'll add that we released every one of them back into their habitats, within meters of where were we originally caught them.
They are easiest to capture at night, when they are (obviously) the most active. They let out quite a shill call, so it's hard to mistake them. All the frogs we caught were 1-5 feet above the water level, but many reside at higher levels. I would imagine that they are much easier to catch when not immediately above a swamp, because they have nothing to dive into and hide. We did not have this luxury!
The most effective way to catch them was to quite simple. We followed their call, which they repeat over and over. Hear the call... take a few steps... wait for the next call... get closer. You get the point. Once we could tell that we were very close, we searched with a flashlight. This will spook them, but they usually don't move. If you can't find them right away, turn of the flashlight and wait for another call. Once you spot one, a quick but gentle grab is all you need. Bring a cloth bag with a moist paper towel to keep them in until you get home.
Also, there are traps that can be set if sneaking around at night with a flashlight doesn't appeal to you. We never used these, but were assured that they do work. If you know of places where the frogs usually are, take pieces of PVC pipe (1-2 inches diameter) and attach them to the limbs and trunks of their trees. The frogs love these pipes for hiding and resting during the day. You can go back during the day, and if you have some patience I can assure you that you'll eventually find a frog hiding in one. They'll never know what hit 'em!
Anyway, sorry for very long post, but I couldn't help it. These little guys are so fun and really really cute. You'll find them in a variety of colors and patterns.
Have fun, and HAPPY HUNTING!
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