In most ponds or marshes, the leader of the frog world is the bullfrog. This is mostly due to the fact that they are generally the largest frogs in the pond, some grow up to 8 inches in length with hind legs over 10 inches long. Their greenish-brown color helps them blend with either the muddy bottom or emergent vegetation. Bullfrogs eat insects, small fish, young birds, and even other frogs. In wetlands, where bullfrogs have been introduced by humans, many of the other smaller native frogs are disappearing.

 


One of the first sounds of spring is the persistent call of chorus frogs. Their call sounds like the noise produced by running a finger over the ends of the small teeth of a pocket comb. Almost any location in which there is standing water, including small temporary pools in fields and roadside ditches, is suitable for the chorus frog. In fact, shallow temporary pools of water may actually be one of the best habitats for the development and survival of tadpoles, because these areas can't support many of the chorus frog's predators (such as fish and snapping turtles) found in larger wetland areas.

 


The color of gray tree frogs can change from gray to green to brown in the same frog. This makes them extremely good at camouflaging because they can blend with almost any plant stem. Unlike most frogs that find their food close to the water, tree frogs search for food on the branches of small shrubs or trees growing near water. Their toes have special sticky pads that help them cling to twigs or stems. Their call, a short loud trill, makes them much easier to hear than see.

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