CAMOUFLAGE EXPERT

What a surprise to find this colorful 'Gray Tree Frog' on my doorstep this morning! You can bet I raced to get my camera before he hopped away. He's little more than an inch long. I can't imagine how his legs support him - they look like folded rubber bands, but I'm sure they put a terrific spring in his hop. His long back legs look like they're folded three times with his feet way up under his belly!

These tiny amphibians are common throughout the Eastern United States near swamps and shallow wetlands. They are about 1 ¼ inches long, can change color from solid green or mottled grayish-green to a gray or creamy white, and have toe pads that enable them to climb trees and shrubs. They can be found perched on tree branches, and are often spotted in residential areas on windowsills feeding on insects that are attracted to light. They're a true camouflage expert - they would be nearly impossible to spot among leaves. Their terrestrial body can withstand partial freezing so they may spend the winter under leaf litter, rocks & logs.

I'm not a fan of frogs or toads (or anything reptilian), but this tiny frog was such an unusual find that he just had to be my blip for today.