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Green Frog (Rana clamitans)
Male green frog (photo: Contrabaroness)
The green frog (Rana clamitans or Lithobates clamitans) is native to eastern North America. There are two subspecies, the bronze frog and the northern green frog. The adults are 5 to 10 cm long, with males larger than females. Males have ear drums or tympanums larger than their eyes, while females have the tympanum the same size as their eyes. Green frogs have a green head and chest, with the rest of their body usually colored brown.
Mature green frogs live on the edges of fresh water ponds or streams, and are omnivorous, eating insects, spiders, fish, crayfish, shrimp, small snakes, and snails. As amphibians, they are sluggish in cold weather and normally do not become active until the temperature is above 10 o C. They do not breed until the season becomes warm.
Green frog tadpoles are olive green and white below. Males become sexually mature at one year, females may mature in either two or three years.Tadpoles live in shallow water and eat detritus or decaying plant matter. They sun themselves in shallow water, retreating into deeper water when disturbed. They are active during the winter and can be seen moving around under the ice.
References:
Hillis, D.M. and T.P. Wilcox, 2005. Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34 (2): 299–314.
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