The call is the best way to distinguish this treefrog from the gray treefrog in the field. It sounds like a ducks quack with a trill to it. Tadpoles have a red tipped tail, unique among Iowas other tadpoles. They are always bright green when they transfrom and will remain so for some time. Color change in adults varies depending on temperature, activity level, and color of surroundings.
Adults migrate to summer feeding habitats after the mate.
They may call periodically from their perches throughout the summer, especially in evening or after rains. They overwinter under shelters of bark, leaves, rocks or logs. They allow most of the liquid in their bodies to freeze, but converted glucose from the liver protects the organs from freezing. The frog is basically frozen until spring. Food Copes gray treefrogs catch insects and other invertebrates for food.