Bronze frog
Encyclopedia
Bronze frog is a subspecies to the Rana clamitans that lives in the southeastern region of North America
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near ponds, creeks and rivers. It may be difficult to find until warm, humid evenings when its mating call is heard. Colloquially referred to as the "banjo frog," the primary breeding call is an explosive "clunk," or "cloink" frequently repeated several times in succession, but less powerfully each time. Like many species of frog, the males voice an aggressive call when concentrations of these frogs are high in breeding areas. This call is a quick harsh spitting sound that sometimes precedes an attack on a competitor.
, from North Carolina
to the eastern third of Texas
.
.
, tadpoles, and other frogs.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
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Description
The bronze frog grows up to 2 to 4 inches (5.4 to 10.2 cm). Distinguishing characteristics include a bronze to brownish body, white belly with dark, irregular blotches, and a bright green upper lip and nose. Males may have yellowish throats. Bronze frogs are smooth skinned, like all true frogs. They have long hind legs with webbed toes. A fold of skin, called a lateral line, begins behind the eye and runs two-thirds the length of body. The tympanum (ear disc) is larger in males.Behavior
Bronze frogs are nocturnal and solitary. They remain under cover, in logs and crevices, most of the time. Male bronze frogs court females with a distinct call. Researchers agree that the love song of the bronze frog sounds like someone plucking a loose banjo string. Named for its body color, the bronze frog is a secretive species, hiding under vegetationVegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
near ponds, creeks and rivers. It may be difficult to find until warm, humid evenings when its mating call is heard. Colloquially referred to as the "banjo frog," the primary breeding call is an explosive "clunk," or "cloink" frequently repeated several times in succession, but less powerfully each time. Like many species of frog, the males voice an aggressive call when concentrations of these frogs are high in breeding areas. This call is a quick harsh spitting sound that sometimes precedes an attack on a competitor.
Distribution
Bronze frogs are found in the southeastern portion of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
to the eastern third of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
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Habitat
Bronze frogs prefer shallow streams, ponds, marshes, springs, bayous and bald cypress swamps with plenty of vegetation. They are active both day and nightNight
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
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Diet
Bronze frogs eat a variety of verterbates and arthropods. They eat flies, crickets, fish, small snakes, crayfishCrayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
, tadpoles, and other frogs.