The frogs have not graced the walls of the pond or floated on lily pads as usual this summer. They still sang at night, especially during our rainy July. This week, two juvenile frogs showed themselves.
Gray Tree Frog or Cope’s Gray Treefrog
I was kneeling on the wall of the pond near the Pickerel Weeds, pulling out brown lily pads, when I looked up to spot this little treefrog nearly above my head! At first, I thought he or she was a piece of leaf, but then the legs gave that away. This frog didn’t seem to move for at least three hours. By the next day, they had hopped on.
Here’s an adult Gray or Cope’s Gray Treefrog who clung to a window overlooking the pond for a few hours last summer. Why can’t I tell which species these are? Because I’d have to either catch them singing or count their genes.
American Bullfrog
This little American Bullfrog likes to sit on the walls of the stream, which is closer to the house than the pond. You can tell this is a bullfrog because she doesn’t have any ridges on her back. You know she’s female because her “ear” (tympanum) is about the size of her eye. Males have bigger ears.
This is probably her father. Do you see the resemblance but also the difference?
