Frog Facts

Article By:Joan Bradshaw
Director of the University of Florida /IFAS Citrus County Extension

With the return of summer rains you probably have noticed a cacophony of sounds emerging from nearby ponds. Hardy and plentiful as they seem, frogs are actually delicate critters, with a semipermeable skin that leaves them vulnerable to even the slightest hiccup in their environment. Frogs are what scientists call an indicator species. They are particularly sensitive animals because they can absorb both oxygen and water through their skin. This quality makes frogs particularly vulnerable to pollutants in the air or water and they suffer from pollution even when they don't eat or drink it through their mouths.

In Florida there are 22 species of frogs native to Florida, but all of them are not common in our part of the state. Frogs can range in size from eight inches as in the native Bullfrogs found in local lakes to the ½ inch long Little Grass Frog. It is found throughout most of Florida and is the smallest North American frog.

Wetlands are important for the survival of frogs but so are nearby drier uplands. Frogs must complete part of their lifecycle in water and then some return to uplands for most of their life. Some frogs live in the extremely dry conditions of our scrub ecosystem, but still require water for completing their reproductive cycle.

While they make seem to look alike, every species of frog has its look with a wide variety of colors, patterns and sizes. One of their distinct features of frogs is their legs. Frogs have very powerful back legs and webbed feet that help them jump great distances, as well as, swim. Frogs also use their sturdy legs to dig, or burrow, underground for hibernating. Some species of frogs can jump up to 20 times their own body length in a single leap.

Frogs are frequently found in home yards in areas where porch lights are left on in search of their next meal. They consume large numbers of insects as their primary diet. Frogs have very good eyesight so have no problems finding unsuspecting bugs to feast on. Their eyes bulge out the sides of their heads in order to see in nearly all directions. A frog catches an insect by throwing its sticky tongue out of its mouth and wraps it around its prey. Frog’s tongues are attached to the front of their mouths rather than at the back like humans. The frog’s tongue then snaps back and throws the food down its throat. When a frog swallows a meal, his bulgy eyeballs will close and goes down into his head! This is because the eyeballs apply pressure and actually push a frog's meal down his throat.

Frogs also have an amazing sense of hearing. Frogs hear using big round ears on the sides of their head called a tympanum, meaning drum. You can often tell the difference between a male and female frog by the size of their eardrum, which can be seen behind their eyes. If the eardrum is smaller than the eye, the frog is a female. On males their eardrum is the same size as the eye. Each species of frog makes its own distinct sound and it is only the male frog that can croak. They have a small sac in their throats that vibrates the air as they slowly let it out. There is a wide variety of sounds that frogs make such as chirps, whistle, croak, ribbit, peep, cluck, bark and grunt. For more information contact Citrus County Extension at 352-527-5700.

Citrus County Extension links the public with the University of Florida/IFAS’s knowledge, research, and resources to address youth, family, community, and agricultural needs. Programs and activities offered by the Extension Service are available to all persons without regard to race, color, handicap, sex, religion, or national origin. Citrus County – Providing Solutions for Your Life.

Dr. Joan Bradshaw is the natural resource conservation faculty for specialized programs in Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Sumter County University of Florida/IFAS Extension Service.

All programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations.

For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact our office at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. For hearing impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Center at 1-800-955-8770 (voice) or 1-800 –955-8771 (TDD).

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