The Pine Barrens tree frog (''Dryophytes andersonii'') is a species of

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

tree frog A tree frog (or treefrog) is any species of frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. Several lineages of frogs among the Neobatrachia suborder have given rise to treefrogs, although they are not clos ...

. It is becoming rare due to

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

Description

''Dryophytes andersonii'' is about long, snout-to-vent, as an adult. Members of the species are predominantly emerald green. The green coloration is bordered by a white stripe, which separates it from a later plum band that extends downwards to cover the belly. The hidden surfaces of their legs are orange to yellow.Bunnell, John.
The Pine Barrens Treefrog
. New Jersey Pinelands Commission, 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2023. The belly is covered in white areolae. The toes are partially webbed, while the fingers are free. The pads of both fingers and toes are small. The key to distinguishing the Pine Barrens tree frog from the similar-appearing

American green tree frog The American green tree frog (''Dryophytes cinereus'' or ''Hyla cinerea'') is a common Species, arboreal species of New World tree frog belonging to the family Hylidae. This nocturnal insectivore is moderately sized and has a bright green to reddi ...

(''D. cinerea'') is the white-bordered lavender stripe on each side of the body in the Pine Barrens tree frog. ''D. cinerea'' has only a white stripe in this location.

Habitat

''Dryophytes andersonii'' are primarily found near temporary still or slow waters dominated by shrubs or herbaceous plants. Permanent bodies of water that are home to fish contain fewer and more isolated frogs. Their preferred natural habitats include wet areas in pitch pine forests, intermittent streams and ponds, stream backwaters, ''

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store water, since ...

bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main Wetland#Types, types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagm ...

, and Atlantic white cedar swamps. They are also found alongside artificial bodies of water such as cranberry bogs, water-filled ruts created by vehicles, flooded borrow pits, and ditches. Adults are primarily found in waterside vegetation, but may be encountered on the ground.

Breeding

''D. andersonii'' prefer to reproduce in isolated, shallow,

acid An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...

ic ponds. The ideal pH level for ''D. andersonii'' eggs is between 3.74 and 4.69. The eggs are laid in May and June; the tadpoles metamorphose into adults in July and August. Eggs are laid singly, and are approximately in diameter. Calling begins at the end of April and can continue into August. Adults remain within of their breeding sites throughout the breeding season, although individuals have been documented as far as . Towards the end of the season, they disperse father away from their breeding sites. The species' comparatively late breeding season, combined with its preference for temporary water sources, makes it vulnerable to droughts and changes in water levels.

Distribution

''Dryophytes andersonii'' primarily inhabits the

Atlantic Coastal Plain The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. Due to the limited extent of suitable habitats, the species is currently distributed in three disjunct areas in the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

: the

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Pine Barrens; the Sandhills of

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

; and the

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

panhandle and southern

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

. The New Jersey populations are the largest currently recorded. Although one specimen of ''D. andersonii'' is known from Richmond County

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, a population is not known to currently exist there. ''Dryophytes andersonii'' is the state frog of North Carolina. It was selected through a poll organized by the North Carolina Herpetological Society, in which the Pine Barrens tree frog was chosen alongside the marbled salamander.

Conservation status

The Floridian population of ''Dryophytes andersonii'' was listed as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

by the US Fish and Wildlife Service between 1977 and 1983, when additional populations were found in Florida. The IUCN has classified the species overall as Near Threatened as of 2004. Pine Barrens tree frogs are rarely encountered in sites where nonnative amphibians, such as bullfrogs, and nonnative fish are present, suggesting that they are poor competitors. As a consequence of this, ''D. andersonii'' populations found in or near developed and agricultural areas are believed to be the most at risk due to the greater presence of nonnative species there. The Pine Barrens tree frog is currently listed as Threatened in the state of New Jersey. Overall,

is the key challenge in conservation efforts. Temporal analyses of total wetland habitat from 2001 to 2016 offer quantitative evidence for this claim (with some difference by wetland type). For instance, woody wetlands have increased in

and Florida within the Pine Barrens Treefrog's range, while they have declined in North Carolina and South Carolina.

In popular culture

The Pine Barrens tree frog was featured in a series of prints by artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

. In 1983, the artist was commissioned to create a portfolio of ten endangered species to raise environmental awareness and included was ''D. andersonii.'' The portfolio, known as "Endangered Species" was created in support of the

Endangered Species Act The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA; 16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.) is the primary law in the United States for protecting and conserving imperiled species. Designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of e ...

, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1973. Other animals within the portfolio include the

Siberian Tiger The Siberian tiger or Amur tiger is a population of the tiger subspecies ''Panthera tigris tigris'' native to Northeast China, the Russian Far East, and possibly North Korea. It once ranged throughout the Korea, Korean Peninsula, but currently ...

Bald Eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

and the

Giant Panda The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear or simply panda, is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its white animal coat, coat with black patches around the eyes, ears, legs and shoulders. ...

References

External links

Animal Diversity Web – ''Hyla andersonii'' (Pine Barrens tree frog)Pinelands Preservation Alliance – Pine Barrens tree frog photos
{{Authority control Dryophytes Pine Barrens (New Jersey) Fauna of the Eastern United States Amphibians of the United States Fauna of the Southeastern United States Amphibians described in 1854 Taxa named by Spencer Fullerton Baird Symbols of North Carolina