Bronze frog facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bronze frog |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Lithobates |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
L. c. clamitans
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| Trinomial name | |
| Lithobates clamitans clamitans (Latreille, 1801)
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| Green Frog range | |
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The bronze frog (Lithobates clamitans clamitans) is a type of frog found in the southeastern part of North America. It is a subspecies of the larger Green Frog. This frog gets its name from its unique body color.
Contents
What Does the Bronze Frog Look Like?
Bronze frogs can grow to be about 2 to 4 inches (5.4 to 10.2 cm) long. Their skin is smooth, just like other "true frogs." They usually have a bronze or brownish body. Their belly is white and often has dark, uneven spots.
Special Features of the Bronze Frog
One cool feature is their bright-green upper lip and nose. Male bronze frogs might also have yellowish throats. They have long back legs with webbed toes, which help them swim. You can also spot two raised lines, called dorsolateral folds, that run from behind their eyes down their back. Males have a larger eardrum, called a tympanum, than females.
How Do Bronze Frogs Behave?
Bronze frogs are mostly active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They prefer to be alone and often hide under logs or in cracks during the day.
The Banjo Frog's Call
Male bronze frogs make a special sound to attract females. Many people say their call sounds like someone plucking a loose banjo string! This is why they are sometimes called "banjo frogs." Their main call is a quick "clunk" or "cloink" sound. They often repeat this sound several times.
Frog Talk and Territory
When many bronze frogs are in one area, males might make an aggressive call. This sound is a quick, harsh spitting noise. It sometimes happens before a male tries to chase away another frog.
Where Do Bronze Frogs Live?
Bronze frogs are found in the southeastern United States. Their home range stretches from North Carolina all the way to the eastern part of Texas.
What Kind of Home Do Bronze Frogs Like?
These frogs love places with lots of plants and water. You can find them in shallow streams, ponds, and marshes. They also live in springs, bayous, and bald cypress swamps. They are active both during the day and at night.
What Do Bronze Frogs Eat?
Bronze frogs eat many different small animals. Their diet includes insects like flies and crickets. They also eat small fish, tiny snakes, crayfish, and even other frogs or tadpoles.
How Do Bronze Frogs Reproduce?
Bronze frogs become old enough to have babies in their first full summer after they change from tadpoles into frogs. Their breeding season starts in early spring and lasts through the summer.
Eggs and Tadpoles
Female frogs lay between 2,000 and 4,000 eggs. They attach these small egg masses to plants underwater. When laid, the eggs are about 1.5 mm wide, but they grow to 6 mm as they develop. The eggs hatch in one to two weeks. Young bronze frog tadpoles are green with small, dark spots. They grow to about 1.0 to 1.5 inches (28 to 33 mm) before they change into adult frogs. Bronze frogs can live for about seven to 10 years.
