Life at ICS
Amphibious Invasion of ICS Is Under Way!
During the past two weeks, strange sounds have been heard on warm afternoons emanating from all over the school grounds, but mostly coming from above. Could it be some sort of exotic bird? Or some unusual species of cricket or locust?
None of the above, as it turns out. This unique sound is the trilling of some extremely vocal amphibians hanging out in Irvington – the Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray Tree Frogs.
These closely related yet difficult to distinguish relatives of the Hylidae (tree frog) family are no bigger than 1.25-2 inches long. They have rough skin – with a texture like concrete or sandpaper – and dark-ringed eyes. Although the Cope’s Gray tends to be smaller than the Eastern Gray, the best way to distinguish them from one another is by listening to their calls.” Here is the song of the Cope’s Gray. Now listen to the Eastern Gray. Hear the difference? (The pictured tree frog, found on our campus on the side of a downspout, was identified as an Eastern Gray by comparing the calls of the two frogs.)
Both species of these tree frogs can have a green, gray, or brown appearance; this is influenced by temperature or level of activity. Another distinguishing feature is the Cope’s Gray has an orange streak on the inside of its thighs, and the Eastern Gray’s inside thighs are greenish- or yellowish-white. Perhaps the most interesting physical feature of both the Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray is their large toe pads that help them to climb so high – up to 30 feet! They can even ascend smooth, steep vertical surfaces thanks to a sticky, mucous-like substance on their toes. Up the downspout is easy with this equipment!
These Indiana native tree frogs’ diet consists largely of insects. They also have an appetite for spiders, mites, and snails. Their breeding season lasts from mid-April to the end of July. Eggs are laid in loose clusters of up to 40, typically attached to vegetation growing in the water, near the surface. Two to five days after being laid, the eggs erupt and tadpoles emerge. Unlike much slower humans, it takes just two years for these tree frogs to mature.
Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray Tree Frogs are typically nocturnal, meaning they tend to be active at night. But lately, the more energetic ones are trilling a bit earlier around our school, beginning in late afternoon and carrying on into the evening.
So when you’re waiting for your child just before release or when picking your student up from the ICS After Care, you might want to pause for a moment and listen. Chances are, you’ll be treated to a chorus from our friends, the Cope’s Gray and Eastern Gray Tree Frogs – right here in Irvington!