POPULATION DECLINE
Fossil records indicate amphibians have existed on this planet long before the earliest known dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Unfortunately, today’s 4,000 plus species of frogs and toads are disappearing at alarming rates. Habitat loss, toxic chemicals in the environment, climate change, and the introduction of exotic-invasive species which can out-compete or prey upon native amphibians, are contributors to this sudden decline.

Photo Source: Steve Johnson

WHO’S THE BOSS?
Can you distinguish between the country’s most famous frog species and its not so famous look-alike, the Pig Frog? Florida’s hefty Bullfrog and the Pig Frog are often mistaken for each other, but a few physical characteristics can help you tell the difference. Pig Frogs tend to be a lighter green on top, have a pointier snout, and possess a continuous light streak across the back of their thighs. On the other hand, Bullfrogs are not as narrow in the mouth, and the webbing on their hind feet does not extend evenly on all of their toes like it does with the Pig Frog.

STICK TO IT
Here’s a riddle: What’s tiny, foreign, and sticks to your window? A Cuban Treefrog, Ostoepulis septentrionalis! Originally from the small Caribbean island of the same name, “Cubans” are the largest tree frogs in North America. Their voracious appetite, as well as their ability to change colors and effectively fend off predators has made this species a threat to indigenous wildlife. A Cuban Treefrog is easily identified by its extra large toe pads, which are bigger than any of those found on Florida’s native tree frogs. These well developed discs secrete a very sticky mucous that allows the frogs to climb almost any surface.

Resources for this article have been provided by the University of Florida IFAS Extension, Wikipedia and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.