Tiny frog

[Jbailey]

Since spring we have seen many frogs in our yard. There were masses of them in the grass in late spring. We also have seen more Garter Snakes than usual. One of my grandchildren cornered a Garter Snake for a bit on our front stoop.

I just finished closing our pool after relocating several frogs, including several Leopard Frogs and a gigantic Bullfrog, to a permanent pond.

This little denizen--about the length of the tip of my little finger-- was a lot more skittish than the Tree Frogs I usually post photos of. I took these shots about a week ago.

Jim

[Ken Ramos]

They are so fragile and so oftentimes ingnored, especially by land developers. Don't know what kind it is, though I see a faint "x" on its back in the first image. Yeah, when I see that, the first thing to come to mind is P. crucifer but it probably is not. I am not to keen on frogs, identification wise that is, but I do find them interesting and beautiful creatures.

[LordV]

Awh - cute little thing
Brian V.

[Jbailey]

Thanks, Ken and Brian:

We are blessed with so many little creatures right in our little acre yard. It is mostly wooded with indigenous trees and wildflowers--many of which we planted.

Much of the wildlife is larger and in the form of deer, wild turkeys, foxes, chipmunks and songbirds.

Jim

[gmazza]

Interesting the "X" on back, I'm happy you have wildlife near your home.

[Jbailey]

Thanks, Gustavo:

Since we provide food during the colder seasons we still have several varieties of woodpeckers and other friendly birds to look at. A few deer sometimes come by and lick seed from one of the bird feeders. Maybe I'll post a photo on "Favorite Locations".

Jim

[MacroLuv]

Nice find!
It looks like some kind of forest or tree frog.
In my country is very common small green European tree frog (Hyla arborea).

See Frog princess... and Cutie on my finger.

[NikonUser]

This is a Spring Peeper.
Was once placed in Hyla but is now Pseudacris crucifer

[Jbailey]

Thanks for the ID information, fellows.



Jim

[Ken Ramos]

Gad! If it isn't bugs its frogs. I can't tell one from the other.

[NikonUser]

Ken: Frogs have 4 legs and are usually wet; bugs usually have more than 4 legs, sometimes with wings (no frogs have wings) and are usually dry.

[Phil Savoie]

I've always been fascinated by Spring Peepers; first as a child collecting them, later as an adult delighting in their chorus. What still puzzles me is their life history; they emerge from winter presumably from being buried in mud/earth in the tens of thousands, sing in huge mating aggregations and then seam to just disappear. Other than the idea that they are a high turnover prey I've never heard of a thorough natural history account of this common species.

EDIT: I take that back- just did a web search species account. Wow. Feeling my age now- I remember spending hours pouring over journals deep in the stacks- the internoodle has changed everything. Truely amazing.

[Jbailey]

My yard has a decent-sized colony of Garter Snakes. I know they like to eat frogs and their toad kin. They certainly have some effect on frog population.

When we first moved here I spotted a large snake under one of our outdoor chairs working on swallowing a toad that looked far too big for him.

I grabbed my SLR (B&W film) and photographed the progress. I sold a group of the shots to the local newspaper and they published it.

They republished the photos several years later and paid me again.

Jim