On our trip to Donley Wildlife management area in Green Pond SC I found a Southern Cricket Frog! This was my only catch of the day and it slipped out of my hands several times. Cricket frogs are in the genus Acris, we distinguish this based on the size of their toe pads. We know that it is a southern cricket frog instead of a northern because of the location it was found in, they generally range throughout the south east not extending past the Appalachian mountains. Their pattern is highly variable but generally they have a dorsal stripe down the back that forks off at the head. Many of the Cricket frogs we found were colored like this one but there was some variation in the specimens. These frogs jump surprisingly long distances relative to their body size. It took me several attempts to catch it because it was so quick and camouflaged to it's environment. The southern Cricket frog is one of South Carolinas most common frogs and can be heard almost any given time. Their call is very distinct, it sounds like two marbles clicking together. It was a very fun trip and our class found a good variety of species!
Jeremy Frank
1 comment:
I found a frog that looks similar to this one at Lake Isaqueena in Clemson, SC. The coloration is slightly different (a little more grayish in color) and has warts on it.
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