Green Frog

​Identification:

Despite its common name, the Green Frog is not typically green. These large (up to 4 inches long) frogs are usually tan, bronze, khaki, or dark brown, often with green only on the upper lip. Most are a uniform shade, but some have scattered blackish spots or mottling on the back and sides. The dorsolateral folds are prominent but fade toward the rear and fail to reach the groin.

Green Frogs begin to call in late April, and a few are still calling in early September. Males have very large eardrums, much more prominent in diameter than each eye, and breeding males have yellow throats, while females have smaller eardrums. Green Frogs are found statewide in Kentucky in a variety of habitats but are usually near water - the margins of ponds, wetlands, springs, and streams in woodlands and open habitats are suitable homes for them. The eggs are laid in a large clear floating film on a pond or wetland surface and are usually seen amid emergent or floating vegetation. Green Frogs and American Bullfrogs often produce a high-pitched chirp when leaping into the water to avoid predators.

The call of an adult male resembles a note plucked on a loose banjo string and is often given in a short sequence.