Pine Barrens Tree Frog

This small frog is on the endangered species list.  It can only be found in the Pine Barrens of NJ (though there are other close related specimens).  They average about an inch and a half long and are not an easy species to find.

When the humidity kicks up, these guys usually start to make their presence known - somewhere around the end of May, beginning of June.  You can hear their qwonk call during the day but it can be infrequent.  It isn't until around the last hour of the day and into the night that these critters really start to sing.  

To find these guys, you need patience, a good light source and sharp eyes.  When the Tree Frog starts to call, they can be right in front of you and you can miss it.  When you are in the presence of these tiny frogs, waves of calls can flow over you and you will stand in awe of it.  You will also get frustrated finding one because you know it's right in front of you and you can't see it.  

But once you spot one and your eyes adjust to the way they camouflage themselves, you start to spot them with a little more regularity.  It is not say that you will spot one every time you think one is right in front of you.  That is there other secret weapon - they can seem like they know a bit of ventriloquism.