Squirrel Tree Frog vs Pinewoods Tree Frog: How to Tell Them Apart
The best clue is the hidden surface of the thighs. A pinewoods tree frog has orange or yellow spots there, visible when the leg is extended. A squirrel tree frog has no thigh spots. Their calls also differ: the pinewoods tree frog gives a rapid Morse-code-like tapping, while the squirrel tree frog gives a raspy, squirrel-like call. Both are small, about 1 to 1.5 inches, so use these clues together.
Two small, brownish tree frogs live in southeastern pine woods and backyards: the squirrel tree frog (Hyla squirella) and the pinewoods tree frog (Hyla femoralis). They are close in size and even close in color.
This guide compares them using state wildlife agencies and university sources. Size and color will not settle it, but thigh spots and voice usually will.
How this was made: prepared with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed at the end. Images are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs of real animals or products.
Key Takeaways
- Pinewoods tree frogs have orange or yellow spots on the hidden surface of the thighs. Squirrel tree frogs do not.
- The pinewoods call is a Morse-code-like tapping. The squirrel tree frog call is raspy and squirrel-like.
- Both are small, around 1 to 1.5 inches, so size does not separate them.
- Pinewoods tree frogs often have a dark facial mask and spend much time high in trees.
- Both are common and not threatened.
Pin this infographicShare on Facebook
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Squirrel tree frog | Pinewoods tree frog |
|---|---|---|
| Adult size | About 1 to 1.5 inches | Usually 1 to 1.5 inches; up to about 1.8 inches (Alabama) |
| Thigh spots | None | Orange or yellow spots on hidden thigh surfaces |
| Face | Dark bar between eyes, often | Often a dark bandit mask |
| Color | Green, tan, gray, or brown | Tan, gray, green, or brown, often with blotches |
| Call | Raspy, squirrel-like | Rapid, Morse-code-like tapping |
| Typical habitat | Swamps, woods, gardens, buildings | Pine flatwoods and adjacent forest; often high in trees |
Thigh spots: the decisive clue
Pinewoods tree frogs carry a hidden marking. Outdoor Alabama says the rear of the thighs has orange and yellow spots. UF Wildlife describes the hidden thigh surfaces as having orange or whitish-yellow spots. The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory says the spots are visible only when the legs are extended.
UF Wildlife’s treefrog brochure says that to check a captured pinewoods tree frog for yellowish spots, you gently extend its hind leg. We do not recommend catching wild frogs just to check; a clear photo of a leg extended in a jump can do the same job.
The Virginia Herpetological Society says squirrel tree frogs lack yellow or orange spots on the thigh. If you see them, you are not looking at a squirrel tree frog.
Calls
Listen at night. The pinewoods tree frog is nicknamed the Morse-code frog. Outdoor Alabama says its call is often compared to Morse code or riveting machines. UF Wildlife calls it a rapid tapping sound.
The squirrel tree frog sounds different. UF extension describes a raspy, scolding, squirrel-like call often heard before and during rain. Outdoor Alabama describes a raspy quack about 100 times per minute. If it sounds like a typing machine, think pinewoods. If it sounds like a chattering squirrel, think squirrel tree frog.
Size and color
Both frogs are tiny. The Florida Museum and the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory report squirrel tree frogs at about 1 to 1.5 inches. UF Wildlife reports pinewoods tree frogs at 1 to 1.5 inches, and Outdoor Alabama says up to about 1.8 inches.
Color overlaps, too. Pinewoods tree frogs are tan, gray, green, or brown, sometimes with blotches or bands, per UF Wildlife. Outdoor Alabama says usually brown or reddish, shifting with temperature and activity. Squirrel tree frogs are green, tan, gray, or brown and can change color.
The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory says the pinewoods tree frog superficially resembles the squirrel tree frog. Because color is so variable, most guides recommend ruling out other species first.
Face markings
Look at the head. The Florida Museum says most pinewoods tree frogs have a distinct bandit mask band across the face. Outdoor Alabama adds a dark stripe that often runs from the nostril through the eye to the forelimb.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources guide says squirrel tree frogs often, but not always, show a spot or dark bar between the eyes, and a light stripe along the body.
Where each lives
Both occupy the Southeast. The Virginia Herpetological Society describes the squirrel tree frog along the Atlantic coastal plain from Virginia to the Florida Keys and west along the Gulf coast to eastern Texas. Outdoor Alabama describes the pinewoods tree frog on the Coastal Plain from Virginia through Florida, not including the Everglades, and west to eastern Louisiana.
Pinewoods tree frogs favor pine flatwoods with sandy soils, per Outdoor Alabama, and spend much of the year in trees. Squirrel tree frogs are generalists found in swamps, woods, gardens, and around buildings.
Breeding
Pinewoods tree frogs breed from late March to early September in Alabama, per Outdoor Alabama, or April through October in Florida, per UF Wildlife. Females lay clusters of 100 to 250 eggs on vegetation in shallow, fish-free water.
Squirrel tree frogs breed during warm rains, with reported periods from mid-April to mid-August in Alabama, per the Virginia account. Both prefer shallow wetlands without fish.
Status
Both are common. Outdoor Alabama gives both the Lowest Conservation Concern rating. The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory calls the pinewoods tree frog locally common and not considered threatened, and calls the squirrel tree frog abundant and not protected.
Related guides
Read our main profile of the squirrel tree frog, or compare it with the green tree frog and the Cuban tree frog.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell a pinewoods tree frog from a squirrel tree frog?
Check the hidden thigh surfaces for orange or yellow spots, which pinewoods tree frogs have and squirrel tree frogs lack. Then compare the calls.
Are they the same size?
Nearly. Both are about 1 to 1.5 inches, though Outdoor Alabama says pinewoods tree frogs reach about 1.8 inches.
What does a pinewoods tree frog sound like?
A rapid, Morse-code-like tapping. It is nicknamed the Morse-code frog.
Do both live in Florida?
Yes. UF Wildlife says the pinewoods tree frog lives in most of Florida except the south-central peninsula and the Keys, and the squirrel tree frog lives statewide.
Are pinewoods tree frogs endangered?
No. Sources describe it as locally common, and Outdoor Alabama gives it the lowest conservation concern rating.
Which one lives higher in trees?
UF Wildlife says pinewoods tree frogs are usually high in trees near breeding sites. Squirrel tree frogs are also arboreal.
Bottom Line
Thigh spots and voice settle most cases. Orange or yellow flash on the hidden thighs means pinewoods. No flash and a raspy call means squirrel tree frog.
A clear photo of a leaping frog, plus a recording of its call, is the best way to get help with a hard case.
Sources
- Outdoor Alabama: Pine Woods Treefrog, accessed Size, thigh spots, call, range, breeding, conservation
- UF Wildlife: Pinewoods Treefrog, accessed Size, color, thigh spots, call
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: Pine Woods Treefrog, accessed Thigh spots, similar species, status
- Florida Museum: Pinewoods Treefrog, accessed Face mask and diet
- UF Wildlife: Treefrogs in the Garden (PDF), accessed Checking thigh spots
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: Squirrel Treefrog, accessed Squirrel treefrog size, calls, status
- Virginia Herpetological Society: Squirrel Treefrog, accessed Lack of thigh spots, range, breeding
- Georgia DNR: Treefrog identification guide, accessed Squirrel treefrog markings
- CDC: Reptiles and amphibians (Healthy Pets), accessed Salmonella and handwashing
One Comment