Help with ID Please

[Malduroque]

Can anyone help out with this one? Petsmart sells these guys as Gold Tree Frogs. They clearly are not the fairly common Golden Tree Frogs from Asia. In fact, the shop I bought my two from even listed a scientific name on their display tank:Hyla Chryses.

A little research on my part revealed that the species are now called Plectrohyla chryses and they are a from a small area in Mexico, are endangered and I consequently cannot find any pictures of that species. Now since I highly doubt that Petsmart is trafficking in endangered species I think I can rule P. chryses out unless someone knows of this species being captive bred.

They look to me a lot like Cuban Tree Frogs, they're the right size, they have some bumps on their skin, but they don't behave like any Cubans that I've ever had. 1)They're very skittish when they're awake. If I get even close to their enclosure they dive in the water container and I've had them for almost a year.. 2)They often sleep near ground level or even under the leaves that are on the ground. 3) When they are asleep, they are out like lights. In complete contrast to their evening skittishness, I can perform any manner of maintenance in their enclosure, even dangle food in front of them and they are not the slightest bit disturbed. Those traits are in stark contrast to the Cubans I have previously owned.

On Petsmarts website, they still list Gold Tree Frogs and they also list Cuban Tree Frogs. Since they are making a distinction between the two coupled with the behavioral differences it also makes me question if they are Cubans. I've also considered if they are Mexican Tree Frogs (Smilisca baudinii) since they do make it into the pet trade on occasion (in fact I had one back in the 1980's) but I have my doubts on that species too.

I have only one good picture which I was able to get on one of the rare days that one of them was sleeping well above ground in the open.

Any good guesses or definitive answers?

Mal

[Socrates]

Can anyone help out with this one? Petsmart sells these guys as Gold Tree Frogs. They clearly are not the fairly common Golden Tree Frogs from Asia. In fact, the shop I bought my two from even listed a scientific name on their display tank:Hyla Chryses.

A little research on my part revealed that the species are now called Plectrohyla chryses and they are a from a small area in Mexico, are endangered and I consequently cannot find any pictures of that species. Now since I highly doubt that Petsmart is trafficking in endangered species I think I can rule P. chryses out unless someone knows of this species being captive bred.

They look to me a lot like Cuban Tree Frogs, they're the right size, they have some bumps on their skin, but they don't behave like any Cubans that I've ever had. 1)They're very skittish when they're awake. If I get even close to their enclosure they dive in the water container and I've had them for almost a year.. 2)They often sleep near ground level or even under the leaves that are on the ground. 3) When they are asleep, they are out like lights. In complete contrast to their evening skittishness, I can perform any manner of maintenance in their enclosure, even dangle food in front of them and they are not the slightest bit disturbed. Those traits are in stark contrast to the Cubans I have previously owned.

On Petsmarts website, they still list Gold Tree Frogs and they also list Cuban Tree Frogs. Since they are making a distinction between the two coupled with the behavioral differences it also makes me question if they are Cubans. I've also considered if they are Mexican Tree Frogs (Smilisca baudinii) since they do make it into the pet trade on occasion (in fact I had one back in the 1980's) but I have my doubts on that species too.

I have only one good picture which I was able to get on one of the rare days that one of them was sleeping well above ground in the open.

Any good guesses or definitive answers?

Mal

That's a Cuban tree frog for sure.

[Kurt]

I will second that.

[Malduroque]

Ok, thanks guys. Even though they behave in a way I'm not used to Cubans doing, yeah they sure look it. The only thing I'm curious about is if Petsmart is selling Cubans as Mexican Gold Tree Frogs what do you get if you buy one of their frogs that they are calling Cuban Tree Frogs? Perhaps only Petsmart knows.............

[Socrates]

Ok, thanks guys. Even though they behave in a way I'm not used to Cubans doing, yeah they sure look it. The only thing I'm curious about is if Petsmart is selling Cubans as Mexican Gold Tree Frogs what do you get if you buy one of their frogs that they are calling Cuban Tree Frogs? Perhaps only Petsmart knows.............

Haha yeah Petsmart probably only does know...Or I'm guessing they just mislabeled them, which wouldn't surprise me.

[John]

100% Cuban Tree Frog.

[Malduroque]

Again, thanks to all who replied. Alas, when I thought I might something more exotic, I instead have the pedestrian Cuban, but they're nice too.