Frogs and Toads

Green Frog

Lithobates clamitans

A relatively large 6-9 cm frog.
Greenish with dark brown spots over the back.
Bright green area above the upper lip is usually visible as are black bands across the hind legs.
The green frog can be distinguished from the bullfrog by looking for the ridges running down each side of the green frog's back.
Male green frogs have yellow throats, particularly during breeding season.
Green frogs tolerate a wide range of habitats and may be found in any permanent supply of water. It typically prefers rich, weedy, warm ponds and lakes, slow-moving rivers, farm ponds and shallow marshes.
They emerge from hibernation in early April, but do not begin to call or breed until June or July.
The male's call can be compared to the "twang" of a single banjo string being plucked.
If competing males ignore the warning calls, a defending male may splash, chase, or wrestle with his competitors.
Tadpoles spend the winter in the water and transform the following summer. The tadpoles may grow to about 6-8 cm long, but during transformation the froglets may end up smaller than they were as tadpoles.