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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: Arizona Mountain Treefrog
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification:
Hyla wrightorum is a small hylid (treefrog) with a SVL (snout-vent length) only 19-56 mm (0.75-2.25 in) (Wright and Wright, 1949; Smith, 1978; Degenhardt et al., 1996; Stebbins, 2003). The dorsal coloration of this distinctive treefrog is bright green, with a dark, lateral line on each side that may be broken into several segments as it extends posteriorly (Taylor, 1938; Wright and Wright, 1949; Behler and King, 1979; Degenhardt et al., 1996; Powell et al., 1998; Stebbins, 2003). The posterior surfaces of the groin and thighs are orange or gold with a greenish tint (Degenhardt et al., 1996). Toepads (disks) are present but small and toe webbing is highly reduced (Stebbins, 2003). The call of male frogs is a series of short, low-pitched notes, sometimes produced as distinct, metallic clacks, or given as a trill (Blair, 1960; Sullivan, 1986; Davidson, 1996; Stebbins, 2003). An audio CD recording of the calls of H. wrightorum is available from Davidson (1996). Hyla wrightorum tadpoles are brown dorsally with minute silvery-gold flecks; dark ventrally and tinged pale gold (Stebbins, 2003). The base of the tail may have dark specks (Degenhardt et al., 1996).
Size: snout-vent length of 19-56 mm
Native Range:
Hyla wrightorum is indigenous to mountains in central
Arizona and western New Mexico, U.S., an isolated population in the
Huachuca Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, and discontinuously south
in Sierra Madre Occidental to Guerrero, Mexico (Smith and Smith, 1973,
1976, 1993; Smith, 1978; Behler and King, 1979; Frost, 1985; Williamson
et al., 1994; Degenhardt et al., 1996; Stebbins, 2003).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: A single H. wrightorum was collected at Island Lake, near Picacho, lower Colorado River, Yuma County, Arizona (Stebbins, 1966).
Means of Introduction: Unknown; but Stebbins (1966) suggests this frog was escaped fish bait.
Status: Apparently this species failed to establish a population in Yuma County, Arizona, as it is no longer mapped there at this locality by Stebbins (1985, 2003).
Impact of Introduction: It is unclear if mountain treefrogs can impact the indigenous ecology of this southwestern county in Arizona.
Remarks:
Taxonomic and nomenclatural summaries on H. wrightorum have
been provided by Frost (1985, 2000), Sullivan (1986), Duellman (2001),
Collins and Taggart (2002), Gergus et al, (2004), and extensive
literature surveys by Smith and Smith (1973, 1976, 1993). Many authorities once considered H. wrightorum a subspecies of Hyla eximia,
but Gergus et al. (2004) have restored the full species status of this
frog based on advertisement calls, allozymes, mtDNA, and morphology.
The species H. eximia is restricted southern
Very
little is known about the natural history of this montane species but
some information has been summarized by Degenhardt et al. (1996) and
Stebbins (2003). Hyla wrightorum is
a high-elevation, insectivorous, climbing frog, which occurs along
streams, wet meadows and roadside ditches, in coniferous forests
(Degenhardt et al., 1996; Stebbins, 2003).
The skin of H. wrightorum is toxic and can severely irritate the eyes of humans after handling (Degenhardt et al., 1996).
References
Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society Field
Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,
Blair, W. F. 1960. Mating call as evidence of relations in the Hyla eximia group. Southwestern Naturalist 5(3):129-135.
Collins,
J. T., and T. W. Taggart. 2002. Standard Common and Current Scientific
Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles &
Crocodilians. Fifth Edition. The Center for North American Herpetology,
Davidson, C. 1996. Frog and Toad Calls of the
Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of
Duellman, W. E. 2001. The Hylid Frogs of
Frost,
D. R. (editor). 1985. Amphibian Species of the World. A Taxonomic and
Geographical Reference. Allen Press, Inc. and The Association of
Systematics Collections.
Frost,
D. [R.] (compiler). 2000. Anura—frogs. Pp. 6-17. In: B. I. Crother
(chair), and Committee on Standard English and Scientific Names
(editors). Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and
reptiles of North America north of
Gergus, E. W. A., T. W. Reeder, and B. K. Sullivan. 2004. Geographic variation in Hyla wrightorum: Advertisement calls, allozymes, mtDNA, and morphology. Copeia 2004(4):758-769.
Powell, R., J. T. Collins, and E. D. Hooper, Jr. 1998. A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental
Smith, H. M. 1978. A Guide to Field Identification. Amphibians of
Smith, H. M., and R. B. Smith. 1973. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of
Smith, H. M., and R. B. Smith. 1976. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of
Smith, H. M., and R. B. Smith. 1993. Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of
Stebbins, R. C. 1966. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Company,
Stebbins, R. C. 1985. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Second Edition, Revised. Houghton Mifflin Company,
Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company,
Sullivan, B. K. 1986. Advertisement call variation in the
Taylor, E. H. 1938. Frogs of the Hyla eximia group in
Williamson, M. A., P. W. Hyder, and J. S. Applegarth. 1994. Snakes, Lizards, Turtles, Frogs, Toads and Salamanders of
Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. 1949. Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the
Other Resources:
Author: Louis A. Somma
Revision Date: 1/11/2005 Citation for this information:
Louis A. Somma. 2008. Hyla wrightorum. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=54> Revision Date: 1/11/2005
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