- I'm Coyote Peterson.
- And I'm Pub Peterson.
- And tonight we're gonna show you
how to catch Eastern grey tree frogs.
(Safari Music)
[Coyote] Right outside your back door
there is a world of animals
and while you may not see them by the light of day,
the darkness of night is sure to bring them out.
On this adventure I'm taking my daughter out to look for her
favorite amphibian, the Eastern Gray Tree Frog.
- Tonight I am up way past my bedtime
and I'm pretty impressed.
[Coyote] If you live on the Eastern half
of the United States,
there is a good chance that these adorable little
tree-dwelling frogs can be found right in your back yard.
[Frog noise]
[Coyote} Should we get into the swamp?
- Yep!
- Alright, let's do it! High fives!
Boom! Let's Go!
[Coyote} Set off into the wilds of your backyard
or a local metro park and I bet
you will have some success.
To find them, all you need is a flashlight
and a little bravery in the dark.
And don't be surprised if you come across
some other nighttime critters along the way.
(Water splashing)
[Coyote] Got it! Whoa ho ho ho ho.
That is how you catch the American bullfrog.
Pup, did you see that?
- Yeah.
[Coyote] How cool is that?
- It was really cool!
- There you have it. That is the American bullfrog.
Alright, let's get this guy up here
and take a better look at him.
Wow! What a catch!
Didn't see that coming, did ya?
Alright, we got 'em!
- Yep, we got it!
- One really big bullfrog.
[Coyote] Now did you think I was going to be able
to catch that frog?
- No, I thought it was gonna be too big.
[Coyote] Now this is one of the species you can easily
find right in your back yard.
And, Pup, is this a monster or what?
- Yes, it is.
[Coyote] Have you ever seen a bullfrog this big before?
- Probably.
- Well you probably caught a bullfrog
this big before haven't you?
- Yeah, I have.
[Coyote] Now, what do we know about amphibians?
They have smooth skin, don't they?
- Yeah, and they're also slimy.
- They're very slimy.
Now if you're gonna go out and catch an amphibian,
like a frog or a salamander, you only want
to handle it for a few moments.
Make sure that you get your hands wet first.
Make sure you don't have any bug spray
or suntan lotion on your hands
because that can actually permeate
into the amphibian's skin.
You just want to enjoy them for a moment
and if you can actually get your hands on the frog,
the best way to catch it is just to grab onto
these back legs.
That is all muscle right there.
What you don't want to do
is squeeze the belly of the frog.
Now that's where all the
frog's organs are, right?
[Pup] Uh huh.
[Coyote] Do you want to hold onto this frog?
- Sure!
- Okay, now let's show everybody at home
what's the safest way to hold the frog?
- Hold it by it's legs.
- That's right. Okay, go ahead and
grab onto the back legs there.
Make sure you have a firm but gentle hold.
There you go.
- This is one big bullfrog just like my dad says.
[Coyote] After releasing this giant bullfrog
it was time to head off into the night
so we could find some vernal pools.
These temporary bodies of water
form in low areas of the forest
and every spring are certain to
draw in a plethora of amphibians
including our target species
the Eastern Gray Tree Frog.
Alright guys, we have found
our first gray tree frog of the night.
Listen to him croaking.
Pup, you got him there in your light?
[Pup] Yeah, I'm really excited!
[Coyote] Look at that.
Alright, go ahead, get a little bit closer.
Now, Pup, what do we recognize about this frog?
[Pup] It looks like this tree here.
- Exactly, they have unbelievable camouflage.
Look how well this little frog
camouflages right into the tree.
[Coyote] Despite their ability to camouflage
perfectly into the environment,
we were seeing these frog everywhere.
- I think I'm gonna try to get that one.
[Coyote] And Pup wasted no time getting into the mud.
Got him?
[Pup] Yep
[Coyote] Nice. Good catch.
[Pup] Got him!
[Coyote] A little muddy. Not a problem.
Mud not a problem for Pup Peterson folks.
Alright, kid, come on out here.
Got her first gray tree frog of the night.
Look at that. Look at that mud.
So you're not afraid to get muddy, are you?
[Pup] Nope.
[Coyote] Nope. Alright, let's get you
up here on dry ground.
- We're gonna catch tons of these gray tree frogs.
and I also got muddy catching mine
because it was in the water.
[Pup] Got him?
- Got him. Look at that guy.
[Coyote] Get him. Quick.
Very gentle. Very good.
After filling up our plastic container
it was time to get these happy little tree frogs
up close with the cameras for a better look.
We've got an entire container of Eastern Gray Tree Frogs.
How many do we have in there?
- Six.
- And how many did you catch?
- All of them.
- All of them!
You hear this kid, she caught em all.
Actually I think you caught four of the six
which is pretty darn good, isn't it?
- Uh huh.
- Should we open this up and take a look at them?
- Uh huh.
- Alright. Let's open up our little container
of Eastern Gray Tree Frogs.
Look at that.
Should we get one of these frogs out
to take a closer look at it?
Alright, why don't you reach your little hand in
and grab one of those guys.
Be very gentle.
Got him? There you go.
You know how to hold him.
Hold him by his back legs.
Now what do we know about this frog?
Do you think this is a boy or a girl?
- I think it's a boy.
- Very good. How do we know that?
- Because it's croaking.
- That's right. Only the male
gray tree frogs make noise.
Another way to distinctly tell that
this is a male is tip him up there.
Can you see that chin under there?
That is a very dark colored chin.
Now the female's chins are complete white.
Only the males have a dark chin like that.
You're doing a great job holding that frog.
Let me try to get one out here.
Come here little guy.
So, Pup, what makes this amphibian
more unique than any other that you'd
find in your backyard here in Ohio?
- Well, they're a boreal.
- That's right. They're extremely specialized.
Those little suction cup fingertips allow them
to climb up tree branches
and, of course, their camouflage allows them
to stay very well hidden from predators.
Now for us it was pretty easy to find these frogs.
How do we find them? We. . .
- We listen to their sounds.
- That's right. We could hear them calling
and that's how we were able to sneak
up on 'em and get them into our little container.
Now if you're gonna go out at night
and look for these frogs,
the best way to do it is with flashlights
and headlamps.
And all you need is a little plastic container
like this with holds in the top.
Go out there. Make sure you don't have
any bug spray or lotions on your hand.
Get your hands good and wet and muddy first
and then you can safely go out
and capture these little frogs.
Very cool! What an experience!
Are you ready to let these little frogs
go into the wild?
- Yeah.
- Well we got up close with the American Bullfrog
and the Eastern Gray Tree Frog.
Do you guys have any tree frogs
hopping around in your backyard?
Tell me about it in the comments section below?
I'm Coyote Peterson.
- And I'm Pup Peterson.
[Coyote] And we'll see you guys
on the next Coyote's Backyard Adventure.
[Coyote] On the next backyard adventure
I take three of my biggest fans up stream
looking for creatures.
[Kids] Yeah!
(Stream running)