The Creatively Named "Green Frog"

Green Frog at the Homer Lake Wetland, June 4, 2021

Green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) have been calling at the wetland for several weeks now, at least as early as May 1st when I recorded the "Sunset Symphony 2" video. Green frogs can be heard in that video sounding off sporadically with a sound rather like the plucking of a banjo string or, as I often think, the plucking of a rubber band stretched across a cigar box. These guys look rather like bullfrogs but if you recall that bullfrogs do not have dorsolateral folds you can see the difference. Green frogs have the fold of skin that runs from behind the eye back at least to the hind legs in addition to the fold of skin that bullfrogs have that wraps around the tympanum ("eardrum").

Another thing that green frogs and bullfrogs have in common is the fact that their tadpoles take two seasons to grow into frog status so they can leave the water. This means that any breeding of either of these two species in the wetland pond will almost certainly fail to produce offspring that lives beyond the fall of this year. I have heard occasional bullfrog calls from the pond on some of my visits, but the green frogs have been much more consistent and so risking the bigger loss.

This particular green frog came leaping out of the water only a couple feet away from me while I was crouched down photographing the metamorph spring peepers featured in the previous post. He very cooperatively stayed in place for a photoshoot thanks no doubt to an instinct that convinced him that if he stayed still I wouldn't notice him. There he sat, unblinking, while I took several photos. 

You may notice in the photo below (click to view larger) that an insect landed on his left eye while he was busy being still. I do not know if a frog is capable of detecting and capturing an insect sitting on top of its eye. I've often seen damselflies, for example, land on a frog's eyes protruding out of the water but have not yet seen one get eaten. It may be though that as in this case, the frog is so busy staring at me that it doesn't even notice or doesn't dare to move. That remains yet another unanswered question!




 

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