What is this fella?

[bagsmom]

This amphibian has been living in my pond for over a year. I would always see him splash and might see him at the bottom of the pond, hiding, but this year is the first time I've been able to get close enough for a picture. He seems to have moved his residence over to the still water of the lotus pond - maybe for breeding season? I know it isn't a Cope's gray tree frog. They are really distinctive. I looked up some images and the closest thing I could find was the green frog (surprisingly described as sometimes brown.). That doesn't seem quite right either. Could he be a toad? He is almost always in the water. I think of toads as living in wet leaves in the forest.

I'm in the Piedmont region of GA.

 

[bagsmom]

He seems to have the same markings as the American Bronze Frog (a subspecies of the green frog and common in this area.)

 

[mrsclem]

Not a toad!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

It's a green frog (or bronze - pretty much the same critter) They come in a range of colors from really very green to more brownish. You can tell them from bullfrogs by those ridges running down either side of the back.
These two show more green & bronze-y coloring:

Where this one is more brownish:

I've also noticed that they tend to be darker when it's cold.

 

[brokensword]

it's a green frog in my book; I have a few and they vary in pattern a bit, too. Seems I have the 'pastel splotch pattern' and the more typical 'spotted' green type. Helps me figure out who's who!

 

[bagsmom]

Hooray! I am so excited to have a Frog-In-Residence!

 

[bagsmom]

Here is a photo from farther away. You can see the lotus pool he is living in. Should I pull some of the parrot's feather to give more water space (to encourage egg laying and space for tadpoles?) Or should I just leave it alone?

 

[addy1]

We heard them for the first time just yesterday, started calling. When I walk down to the pond all I hear now is plop plop plop

 

[addy1]

Here is a photo from farther away. You can see the lotus pool he is living in. Should I pull some of the parrot's feather to give more water space (to encourage egg laying and space for tadpoles?) Or should I just leave it alone?
View attachment 137395

Leave it alone, I have had them put egg masses in the bog on top of plants, in the lotus tub on top of parrots feather hornwort etc. As long as wet the eggs will do fine. They prefer fishless water bodies

 

[bagsmom]

If I have tadpoles, I will be GIDDY! (That sounds like I will personally have tadpoles. I would NOT be giddy if that happened! LOL. But if the FROG lays eggs that become tadpoles, I will be thrilled!)

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I agree with leave it alone. If he attracts a girlfriend they'll manage to squeeze their eggs in there regardless of how many plants there are!

 

[addy1]

It needs a buddy, if you have one there must be another.

 

[brokensword]

I agree with leave it alone. If he attracts a girlfriend they'll manage to squeeze their eggs in there regardless of how many plants there are!

if I'm not mistaken, it's a girl in the pic...

 

[bagsmom]

Yay!!!!!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

if I'm not mistaken, it's a girl in the pic...

How do you tell a girl frog from a boy frog? Unless they're actively playing 'leap frog' I have a hard time telling... (I'm pretty good at identifying the sex of a toad, but frogs I'm not as sure)

(Boy on top, girl on bottom)