Pistachio the American tree frog. (Cindy Walker Burton photo)
by Cindy Walker Burton
Kermit the Frog famously lamented that it isn’t easy being green. An American green tree frog named Pistachio would emphatically disagree with Kermit. He would also disagree that pistachio refers exclusively to a nut. So who is this disagreeable Pistachio?
Pistachio resides amongst the large, paddle-shaped tropical leaves of my voluminous canna lilies. They match his bright lime green skin, providing superior camouflage and soothing shade. The canna’s elongated oval leaves attract Japanese beetles, spider mites, and grasshoppers, which are some of Pistachio’s favorite fast foods. He’s a diminutive two and a half inches long, weighs just .5 ounces, and has a maximum lifespan of only four years before he croaks (get it – croaks?). He needs all the calories he can get. Bon appetit, pocket-size Pistachio! The long cylindrical tubes of newly emerging canna leaves provide a protected, cool residence for Pistachio and a ready-made water vessel. Shelter and hydration: check.
Let’s jump to some interesting froggy facts about genus Hyla. They have color changing skin, varying from dull green to yellow to gray, depending on the temperature and their mood. So they’re fashion conscious AND moody? Who blew the whistle on moody frogs – Kermit’s girlfriend? Females lay 500 to 2,500 eggs at a time on aquatic vegetation and the tadpoles hatch in a week. And you thought your kids grew like weeds! This fascinating frog’s super sticky, honeycomb-patterned toe pads enable them to hang upside down, vertically, and by one toe. Move over Spiderman! They are nicknamed rain frogs because their calls are loudest during damp weather leading to the belief that they predict rain. Is the Weather Channel aware of their competition? This frog’s loud honking call (similar to “quank quank”) can be heard up to two miles away. Not exactly mindful and demure are they? You can take that fact to the “bank bank.”
If you are fortunate enough to have an American green tree frog serenading you nightly, you are not simply hearing a free nocturnal concert. You are getting (1) free pest control (one tree frog eats thousands of insects in a single gardening season), (2) a free bioindicator of ecosystem health (their presence indicates a healthy biosphere) and (3) free emotional therapy. Nature lovers find the croaking (the frog’s, not theirs) evokes feelings of peace and connection to the environment. Opposing folks just say no thanks to the quank quank. To summarize, that’s three nature-derived benefits cost free, courtesy of The Creator’s croaky creature, the American tree frog. Here’s a high five to the high heavens!
Petite Pistachio is catching insects, catching daytime rest, catching shade rather than sun, catching my attention, and catching some local newspaper exposure. Catchy Pistachio is living the dream. And being green? That’s easy-peasy!
