Amphibians
Arizona Treefrog
Dryophytes wrightorum · also called Arizona treefrogs
The first heavy monsoon rain of the season fills a shallow mountain pool in Arizona, and within hours, dozens of Arizona treefrogs emerge from months of hidden inactivity to breed in a burst of noisy, urgent activity before the water disappears again.
Overview
The Arizona treefrog, Dryophytes wrightorum, is a bright green amphibian native to isolated mountain forest habitat across sky-island ranges of Arizona and New Mexico. Its breeding strategy tied entirely to unpredictable monsoon rains, long dormant periods, and relatively recent recognition as its own distinct species make it one of the more distinctive frogs of the American Southwest.
A short window, an urgent breeding rush
With suitable breeding pools existing for only a brief stretch of the year, the Arizona treefrog compresses nearly its entire reproductive effort into the narrow, unpredictable span of the summer monsoon.
Status
Least Concern — locally common across suitable mountain forest habitat within its isolated sky-island range in Arizona and New Mexico.
Arizona Treefrog: common questions
Why does the Arizona treefrog breed only during monsoon season?
This species times its breeding almost entirely to the arrival of summer monsoon rains, gathering explosively at temporary rain-filled pools that may only exist for a short window each year, a strategy that makes the most of scarce, unpredictable water in its mountain habitat.
What does an Arizona treefrog look like and sound like?
It has a bright green body, sometimes marked with a bronze or tan stripe along the side, and produces a distinctive nasal, quacking call that becomes especially noticeable during its brief, intense monsoon breeding season.
What does "sky island" mean for the Arizona treefrog's habitat?
A sky island is an isolated, forested mountain range surrounded by lower, drier desert terrain, and the Arizona treefrog occupies several of these scattered highland pockets across Arizona and New Mexico, meaning its populations can be naturally separated from one another by considerable stretches of unsuitable lowland habitat.
What does the Arizona treefrog do outside of the breeding season?
Outside its short monsoon breeding window, this species spends much of the year sheltering in moist leaf litter, bark crevices, or underground refuges, staying largely hidden and inactive until the rains return.