The pine woods tree frog (Dryophytes femoralis ), is a species of frog in the family Hylidae, endemic to the southeastern United States.
The pine woods tree frog is found in the southeastern United States on the plains of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, its range extending from Virginia to Florida and Louisiana. It climbs high in trees, but also sometimes descends to ground level and favors pine woods, savannahs, mixed pine and turkey oak woodlands, and cypress swamps. During droughts or cold weather, it hides in or under rotten logs or in moist crevices in trees.
The pine woods tree frog mainly eats insects. Breeding takes place at any time between March and October. The male calls, especially at dusk, from locations close to water, such as trees, bushes, and inside clumps of vegetation. The female lays 800 to 2,000 eggs in clusters of 100 eggs no more than 2-3 cm below the water, which may be a ditch or temporary pool. The tadpoles are fully developed and ready to undergo metamorphosis at about two months old. There is evidence that suggests they can produce a second clutch in the same reproductive season allowing for two sets of eggs. Pine woods treefrog tadpoles may exhibit predator-induced phenotypic plasticity. Tadpoles exposed to predators develop deeper and shorter bodies and tails, smaller overall body size, and increased orange fin coloration and black tail outline. However, low food resources may inhibit the development of this induced morphology as it is energetically costly.
The pine woods tree frog is listed as being of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its large population is believed to be stable, and it is common over much of its wide range. Although this species is listed as least concern, respecting and protecting its habitat is still a priority. This idea is relevant because of the treefrog species, the pine woods tree frog is one of the most sensitive in terms of habitat change. Therefore, environmental changes significantly effect the ability of this species to remain successful.
