Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Gray Treefrog

The October 1st Deadline:

Amphibians heal quickly, and this Gray Treefrog was released just in time for the October 1 deadline!

In Virginia, reptiles and amphibians in rehabilitation must be released prior to October 1. Otherwise, they are required to overwinter in captivity and wait until May 1 of the following year for release. For any wild animal, our goal is always to minimize time in care and return them to the wild as soon as they are healthy and able to thrive on their own.

This little frog came to us with an injury severe enough that part of the foot needed to be amputated.

Less than a month later, the surgical site is completely healed, the frog is moving and climbing normally, and is ready to head home!

Gray Treefrogs are excellent climbers thanks to specialized toe pads that help them grip bark, leaves, and other surfaces.

Fortunately, losing part of a foot does not necessarily prevent a frog from successfully navigating its environment. Before release, our team makes sure patients like this one can move, climb, feed, and otherwise behave normally despite their injury.

Getting this patient back into the wild before cold weather arrives is especially important.

As temperatures drop, Gray Treefrogs begin preparing for winter, eventually settling beneath leaf litter, logs, bark, or other protected areas.

Amazingly, these frogs can survive freezing temperatures during the winter by producing compounds that help protect their cells while portions of their bodies freeze.

After a foot amputation and a remarkably speedy recovery, this frog gets to spend the winter exactly where a wild frog belongs: in the wild.

Good luck out there, little guy!

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