It's a Southern Leopard Frog, and yesterday's warm weather had him out and calling. A nice surprise on a beautiful spring day.
I'm assuming that this guy hibernated at the bottom of my pond, but I'm not certain.
He doesn't have much choice on where to hide while calling as the only vegetation is provided by the three potted plants which I just cut down the other day, but he's quite well-camouflaged until you know where he is.
He didn't move all afternoon, and probably didn't notice the goldfish swimming around and around him:
Last summer it was very difficult to get any frog photos, as he'd dive whenever I came close. Today though, he's unfazed by me:
I was able to walk all around the pond's edge, getting a good look at him from every angle. He never flinched.
Since it's early in mating season for this species, I'm hoping he's successful in attracting a mate -- unlike last year. I'm eager to see my pond's frog population increase this year!
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I can't wait for our frogs to return! Or resurface... or whatever it is they do! We had five or six bullfrogs that called our pond home last year, so I'm thinking tadpoles might be in our future! Still have that little ICE problem to get over. It was snowing this morning... really? ENOUGH!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like he was basking in the sun - hoping a mate come along. He probably did stay over at the bottom of the pond so he's content and at home.
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