Frogs & Toads

American toads are very common in Ohio. They have either one, two, or three warts in the dark spots on their backs. American toads spend the spring breeding in shallow ponds. When these toads leave the ponds, they leave behind long strands of eggs. One female American Toad can lay as many as 12,000 eggs. Soon after these eggs are hatched, little black tadpoles emerge and soon turn into tiny toads.

Unlike most animals, this toad does not drink water. Instead it absorbs water through its skin. (Denny, 19)

This frog is considered to be the largest frog in North America. The bullfrog's "jug-o'-rum" sound can be heard throughout Ohio's, marshes, and streams from late April through late summer. During their breeding season, they get very aggressive and become very protective over their territory. (Denny, 25)

Name: Bullfrog Tadpole

Picture by The Ohio Dept. Of Natural Resources

Northern leopard frogs are named because of the black "leopard spots" on their back, sides, and legs. They are very common throughout Ohio and live in many different habitats. During the summer they often live away from any body of water and are known as "meadow frog" and "grass frog".

Between March and May, lakes, ponds, marshes, and flooded fields are used as breeding grounds. The call of the male frog resembles the sound from rubbing your thumb over a balloon. These frogs can even sing while underwater. (Denny, 26)

These little frogs come out of hibernation when the ice begins to thaw and are found congregating by the hundreds in small ponds. They have three dark stripes that run down their back. It extends from their nose on down the length of their body. After their breeding season, chorus frogs are rarely seen because they burry themselves in mud to escape from the sun. (Denny, 23)

The mountain chorus frog looks a lot like the western chorus frog except for a few slight differences. The mountain chorus frog has two curved stripes on its back that look like reversed parentheses. It also has a dark triangle between its eyes and a white line on its upper lip. (Denny, 23)

The green frog is very common throughout Ohio. It resembles the bull frog except it has two lateral folds of skin down its back. When these frogs are disturbed, they utter a short, high pitched cry as it dives into the water. The green frog tadpoles are similar to the bull frog tadpoles except they are smaller. These tadpoles wait until their second summer to change into adult frogs. (Denny, 25)

Bibliography

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