Seasonal Terrestrial Microhabitat Use by Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) in Missouri Oak-hickory Forests

• Published in: Herpetologica Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 259 - 269
• Main Authors: Johnson, Jarrett R., Mahan, Rachel D., Semlitsch, Raymond D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: P.O. Box 519, Bainbridge, GA 39818 The Herpetologists' League, Inc 01-09-2008
• Subjects: Amphibian; Amphibians; Breeding seasons; Diurnal refugia; Foraging; Foraging site; Forest habitats; Habitat conservation; Hyla; Hyla versicolor; Land-use; Microhabitat; Microhabitats; Overwintering; Overwintering location; Quercus alba; Radiotelemetry; Refuge habitats; Tree cavities; Tree cavity; Treefrog; Trees; USA, Missouri
• ISSN: 0018-0831; 1938-5099
• DOI: 10.1655/07-064.1

It is important to identify and understand the critical habitat components of organisms inhabiting landscapes that are increasingly altered by human activities to adequately predict the effects of habitat alteration on natural populations. Our study identifies terrestrial habitats that are important to the gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) during the nonbreeding season using radiotracking and mark-recapture/release of individuals captured in artificial arboreal refugia. High humidity and rainfall were associated with decreased captures in artificial refugia, while high ambient air temperatures were correlated with increases in the number of treefrog captures. Refugia placed in small trees recorded more small individuals than those in larger trees, and refugia in white oaks (Quercus alba) contained females more frequently than expected at random. We found that space-use estimates encompassing foraging and overwintering locations of gray treefrogs were relatively small and typically included only a few adjacent trees during the nonbreeding season. We discuss the physical and biological aspects of habitat patches that may be important in determining the persistence of gray treefrog populations.