Q: I found a very interesting frog sitting on the branch of my dogwood tree. It is quite large (about 2 ½ inches long), mostly white with a slight green tinge on the tip of the mouth, legs and rump. It also has black spots. After looking on the internet, it looked similar to a barking frog. What do you think?

A: I believe you are correct – good detective work! The photo of your frog is so attractive but I wanted to share the following website with any of the nature lovers out there as this site has an attachment with the sound of the “bark” from this fascinating creature. There is apparently much variation in the coloration of the frog, which explains why you saw some shades of different colors on it. Barking frogs are often found in swamps and low lying pine areas. What a special treat to have the barking tree frog visit your property.

Female lays a clutch of up to about 2000 eggs after heavy rains in spring or summer. Multiple clutches have been documented in Georgia (Perrill and Daniel 1983). Eggs hatch in several days. Aquatic larvae metamorphose into terrestrial form in about 1-2 months. They spend most of their lives in trees but when temperatures dip they burrow under tree roots and moist leaf debris to protect them from the drying, cold weather. Insects and small invertebrates are the bulk of their diet. http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extension/wildlife_info/frogstoads/hyla_gratiosa.php

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