Floridian Nature

Learn about Florida's beautiful and unique nature.





Florida Nature: Frogs (2)
Floridas Southern leopard FrogSouthern Leopard Frog- The Southern Leopard Frog is a sleek and beautifully spotted frog that is well known for its leaping abilities. The leopard frog can be recognized by a light spot in the center of the tympanum. Sometimes called the grass frog, the leopard frog is frequently found resting in grasses and vegetation along the edges of fresh water creeks and ponds. If a person walks along the edge of a pond, these frogs will leap, one after another, from the grass into the water, each one giving a squawk as it jumps three or four feet. The Southern Leopard frog calls on rainy nights during most of the year, but it primarily breeds in winter. Leopard frogs make a variety of guttural sounds. One of it's really unique calls is similar to the sound produced when you rub your finger over the surface of an inflated balloon. This frog will sometimes call on nights when it might seem too cold for amphibians to be out.

Florida Bronze FrogBronze Frog- The Bronze Frog got his name because of the distinctly bronze coloration on its upper surfaces. This is a handsome frog, but seldom seen, since it is mainly nocturnal. During the day the Bronze frog hides under rotting logs or other debris, usually close to water, but is easily spooked from its hiding place. Bronze frogs see habitats with flowing water, such as small creeks and streams. The Bronze Frog breeds during the warmer months of the year. This frog's call is a strange single note that sounds very much like a plucked banjo string. Sometimes the note will be repeated several times.

Florida River FrogRiver Frog- As its name implies, the River Frog is found on the banks of freshwater rivers and along the edges of river connected creeks and ponds. The upper surface of the river frog is dark green or brown, sometimes almost black, and its skin is rough. This frogs underside is mottled mouse-gray and white. The eyes of the tadpoles are usually reddish. Unlike other frogs, the river frog does not jump and wiggle when captured, instead it reacts by becoming limp. If you lay a River Frog down on its back, it will stay there for a while until you go away. This frog has an added protection from a foul smelling and toxic secretion from its skin. Snakes that have been seen eating this frog become violently ill afterward! The River Frogs call is a brief grunt or  low-pitched snore.



Florida Bog FrogFlorida Bog Frog- On the night of July 22, 1982, Paul Moler, a senior biologist for the Florida Game and fresh Water Commission listened to a choir of familiar frog calls when he heard an unfamiliar sounding frog. He discovered a new species of Rana, the Florida Bog Frog. The Bog Frog's call as been described as a series of 3 to 21 distinctly un melodious chucks.  The Florida Bog Frog is similar in looks to the Bronze Frog, except that it is smaller and has greatly reduced webbing on its hind feet. Less than two inches long, Bog Frogs have rough dark green to brown backs, black mottled undersides, yellow throats, and may have light spots on the lower jaw. A light brown line runs along the lateral fold and does not reach the groin area. Aside from being the smallest of the "true Frogs", the Florida Bog Frog is also the rarest species of toads or frogs in the state of Florida, found only in a few acidic streams in Walton, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties in the panhandle.

Florida Greenhouse FrogGreenhouse Frog- The small Greenhouse Frog belongs to a very large family of tropical frogs found in Central and South America, and the West Indies. Greenhouse Frogs were introduced into Florida many years ago and is now quite common in the state. Greenhouse Frogs are a brownish color and have a somewhat pointed nose. This frog is commonly found around homes, gardens, and greenhouses, as well as moist wooded areas. The Greenhouse frog is unique among Florida toads and frogs because it does not pass through a free-swimming tadpole stage. The female lays her eggs, not in water, but inside damp rotting logs or under moist debris. Fully developed miniature froglets hatch directly from the eggs! The call of the Greenhouse Frog is a soft, pleasant chirping that sounds something like a cricket. It is frequently heard around houses, often lawns and shrubs are being watered.

ornate chorus frog Ornate Chorus Frog- The Ornate Chorus Frog has a rounded snout as compared to the pointed noses of other chorus frogs. They have three color phases: green, gray, and red-brown. They will always have dark spots on the side and often the legs are bordered with silver-white. Their undersides are orange and inner thighs are yellow. These frogs are approximately 1.4 in in length. This frog can be found in North Florida's grassy fields and roadsides after rain. The Ornate Chorus Frog is a winter breeder with a call resembling a loose fan belt in a car. When frightened this frog does not hop far, but instead just hunkers down. It is a burrower and is rarely seen except during its winter breeding activities. Florida Frogs : Explore the nature side of Florida
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