Geographic variation in the morphology and lateral stripe of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) in the southeastern United States

Five southeastern populations of the green treefrog were examined to evaluate geographic variation in four morphological characters and lateral stripe length. Analysis of covariance demonstrated that tibio-fibula length was significantly shorter in the population from the Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley regions of northern Alabama compared to that of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain populations. Body length varied significantly among some populations. Lateral stripe length was highly variable among populations with no apparent geographic pattern to this variation. The morphological differences found in northern Alabama may be attributed to genetic drift or the founder effect.