Characteristics:
A roughly 3in frog. They are greenish-brown to brown on top with dim dark spots. The underside is marked with a dark mottled pattern against a light background. Males have a larger typanum than females as well as green on the upper jaw. During breeding season the males have enlarged thumbs. Very similar in appearance to the bullfrog, the green frog has a well developed fold of skin that extends from the typanum to about midway down the back. Bullfrogs do not have this fold of skin.
*Note: There are 2 subspecies in this area. The bronze frog (R. c. clamitans) and the green frog (R. c. melanota). These subspecies intergrade so identification is difficult.
Habitat:
Most commonly found in woodland ponds, sloughs, rocky creeks, and a variety of other weedy aquatic habitats. The cypress swamps in southern IL are a great place to see this frog.
Behavior:
The green frogs can be heard calling from May all the way through September. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of small invertebrates as well as small frogs. This frog is considered a game animal in some states, including MO.
Personal Remarks:
These guys really do look a lot like a small bullfrog. If you didn't know what to look for it would be very easy to confuse the two different species. We find these guys pretty regularly in the souther part of IL around the cypress swamps as well as in the Ozark region of MO. They have one of my favorite calls out of the frogs in this area.
A roughly 3in frog. They are greenish-brown to brown on top with dim dark spots. The underside is marked with a dark mottled pattern against a light background. Males have a larger typanum than females as well as green on the upper jaw. During breeding season the males have enlarged thumbs. Very similar in appearance to the bullfrog, the green frog has a well developed fold of skin that extends from the typanum to about midway down the back. Bullfrogs do not have this fold of skin.
*Note: There are 2 subspecies in this area. The bronze frog (R. c. clamitans) and the green frog (R. c. melanota). These subspecies intergrade so identification is difficult.
Habitat:
Most commonly found in woodland ponds, sloughs, rocky creeks, and a variety of other weedy aquatic habitats. The cypress swamps in southern IL are a great place to see this frog.
Behavior:
The green frogs can be heard calling from May all the way through September. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat a variety of small invertebrates as well as small frogs. This frog is considered a game animal in some states, including MO.
Personal Remarks:
These guys really do look a lot like a small bullfrog. If you didn't know what to look for it would be very easy to confuse the two different species. We find these guys pretty regularly in the souther part of IL around the cypress swamps as well as in the Ozark region of MO. They have one of my favorite calls out of the frogs in this area.
