When a heavy evening rain is impending during the spring or summer, many
frogs and
toads begin to call. This is the first signal of intense
breeding activity. Frogs and toads generally mate at night, since the
darkness conceals them from sharp-eyed predators, especially wading
birds. As rain starts to fall more and more frog voices are heard, until
in certain places it becomes almost deafening. Although it may seem
like frogs are just singing for fun, it is actually the males who are
calling to set up territories and to attract females. Most frogs in
Florida breed and lay their eggs in shallow, temporarily flooded ponds,
ditches, and depressions. Temporary water holes do not have large
resident populations of predators, such as fish, salamanders, and water
snakes, that would feed on the eggs or tadpoles because theses shallow
pools usually dry up quickly.
The Pine barrens tree frog
is only about 1–3 inches long and is one of the smaller species of tree
frogs. Members of the species are predominantly green, with wide dark
stripes. They often have spotted orange-gold markings on the hidden
surfaces of their legs, and also tend to have large toe pads. Pine
Barrens tree frogs are most commonly found in brushy areas, often near
peat bogs or shallow ponds. They usually inhabit areas carpeted with
thick moss. Adults are terrestrial, but tend to reside near water
sources. Unlike most frogs, Pine barrens tree frog are tolerant of low
pH levels, and often lay eggs in shallow, acidic ponds. Members of the
species are currently distributed in three distinct populations: New
Jersey Pine Barrens, the Sandhills of North and South Carolina, and the
Florida Panhandle area.
Gopher
Frog (Rana capito)- These nocturnal frogs are noted for their
short, stubby appearance. Their backs are marked heavily with dark
spots, sometimes causing a clouded pattern. Their dorsolateral ridges
are very distinctive. This frog will reach a length of 4.33 in. The
gopher frog usually spends daylight hours in burrows, holes, or tunnels
that are created by other animals. The Gopher frog primarily inhabits
the threatened sandhill communities, flat woods, and scrub in the
Atlantic coastal plain, where it
is usually found near ponds. The gopher frog breeds on spring nights in
very wet conditions. They seem to be rare, but their secretive nature
makes it difficult to determine their true population status.
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. This frog is less than 2 inches
long. This frog is uncommon in Florida and is found only in a few acidic
streams in Walton, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties in the panhandle.
The Florida bog frog will call from spring to summer with a call which
sounds like a chuckle -- a series of low-pitched single clucking calls,
noticeably slower at the end of the call.
Learn more at
www.Floridiannature.com
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