(Hyla arborea)

The tree frog is easily recognisable due to its pure green trunk and the discs on fingers and toes. It is the only native amphibian that can climb. It can often be seen sitting on leafs of shrubs and bushes. The calls of the male during the breeding season (“repp- repp- repp...“) are very loud and can be heard from a great distance. During the summer, calls can also be heard in the summer habitats of the species.

Tree frogs seek shallow, well lit and fish-free ponds for mating. Often the ponds dry up in late summer. The summer habitats are in sunny and humid hedges and woodland edges. They can climb into the crowns of the trees.

Tree frogs are very mobile and can move larger distances between their different habitats. Newly created ponds are often populated. But not all ponds populated by male frogs will also have breeding females.

In Lower Saxony the main distribution of the tree frog is in the lowlands. There are a few records from the uplands. The tree frog is by nature not present in the North West due to the climatic conditions. Following the loss of suitable habitat, especially breeding ponds, the tree frog population has significantly declined in recent decades. It has disappeared from many areas altogether.

Tree Frog in Germany (German webpage only)

Distribution map Germany (German webpage only)

Tree Frog in Lower Saxony 

Photo credit Frank Körner