NetBeans: The Definitive Guide

Colophon

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The animals on the cover of NetBeans: The Definitive Guide are European tree frogs (Hyla arboria). These tiny amphibians inhabit verdant European forests. Like most tree frogs, they have suction pads on the end of each toe that allow them to cling to plants, but European tree frogs can be distinguished from other species by a white-bordered black line that runs from their nostrils to their hind legs. They are generally green in color, though their shade often changes to match their surroundings and help them hide from predators. Less than two inches long, tree frogs are an attractive snack for snakes, lizards, birds, and large fish. Because they are cold-blooded, tree frogs often stay in the sun, snapping up flies and other tiny insects with their long sticky tongues.

The most distinctive feature in the males is a well-developed vocal sac; when calling this sac can expand to be larger than the frog’s head. The male’s sac is creased and usually darker than the rest of his body, while the female’s is smoother, smaller, and lighter in color. European tree frogs usually spawn in ponds during spring or early summer. At dusk, males claim an area from which to call females, who arrive later in the evening and choose a mate if they are ...