Amphibians
Pine Barrens Treefrog
Hyla andersonii · also called pine barrens tree frog
A Pine Barrens treefrog rests quietly, lavender-grey with a bold dark stripe running down each side, giving nothing away until it jumps and a hidden flash of bright orange appears on its inner thighs for just a moment. Finding one at all is the harder part, since the species survives only in a handful of scattered, acidic wetland pockets across the eastern United States.
Overview
The Pine Barrens treefrog, Hyla andersonii, is a strikingly patterned amphibian found in only a small number of disjunct populations across the eastern United States, including New Jersey’s namesake Pine Barrens. It depends on specific acidic wetlands tied to pine and cedar forest.
Rare by both geography and habitat
Restricted not just to a few scattered locations but also to a fairly narrow type of acidic wetland habitat within them, the Pine Barrens treefrog’s rarity reflects two compounding constraints rather than just one.
Status
Near Threatened — declining in parts of its historic range as the specific acidic wetland habitat it depends on continues to be lost or degraded.
Pine Barrens Treefrog: common questions
Why is the Pine Barrens treefrog considered so distinctive looking?
The Pine Barrens treefrog combines a striking lavender-grey body with a bold dark stripe along each side and bright orange or yellow flash colouration hidden on the inner thighs, a combination of pattern and colour considered among the most visually striking of any treefrog species found in North America.
Why does the Pine Barrens treefrog only live in a few scattered places?
The Pine Barrens treefrog depends specifically on acidic, often boggy wetlands associated with pine and cedar forest, a fairly specific combination of vegetation and water chemistry that only naturally occurs in a limited number of regions, leaving the species restricted to a small number of separate, disjunct populations rather than one broad, continuous range.
What is the purpose of the orange patches on a Pine Barrens treefrog's thighs?
The bright orange or yellow patches hidden on a Pine Barrens treefrog's inner thighs become briefly visible only when the frog moves or jumps, a flash colouration pattern that may help startle or briefly disorient a predator during an escape attempt, since the sudden appearance of bright colour can interrupt a predator's tracking of the frog's movement.
Why is the Pine Barrens treefrog considered Near Threatened?
Pine Barrens treefrog populations have declined in parts of their historic range due to the loss and degradation of the specific acidic wetland habitat the species requires, pressures linked to development, altered drainage, and habitat fragmentation, making continued targeted habitat protection important for the species' remaining populations.