About Dryophytes avivoca (Viosca, 1928)
Dryophytes avivoca, commonly known as the bird-voiced tree frog, is a small frog species that reaches an adult length of around 5 cm (2.0 inches). Its dorsal surface is typically dappled and pale grey or brown, but its skin color can change based on temperature and activity level, and it may also appear more or less pale green. A dark brown cross-shaped marking often appears on its back, with additional dark patches on its limbs. Its belly is grey, with yellow patches visible on the underside of its hind legs. Male individuals of this species have a dark throat. This species is very similar in appearance to the larger gray tree frog, Dryophytes versicolor, but the gray tree frog has an orange flash on its hind legs, instead of the yellow flash seen in Dryophytes avivoca. Both species share a distinctive whitish square patch of skin located just underneath the eyes. The bird-voiced tree frog can be easily distinguished from the gray tree frog by its characteristic call, which it produces during spring and summer. This frog is distributed across much of the southeastern United States, with confirmed records in the states of Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Its preferred habitat is wooded swamps located near streams and rivers, where the dominant plant species are cypress, birch, tupelo, and buttonbush.
