Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Common Name: Green Frog or Bronze Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Family: Ranidae – True Frog Family
Location: Canada and United States
US Locations: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia
Size: 4.05 inches (103 mm) for males and 4.13 inches (105 mm) for females

The Green Frog or the Bronze Frog is one of the most common frogs in the United States. There are two subspecies of the frog : the Northern Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanotus) and the Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans clamitans). The Northern Green Frog is found obviously in the north while the Bronze Frog is found in the south. Males of the species have yellow throats while the females have white throats. Females are larger than the males when they are fully grown.

Breeding takes place from April to the end of summer, depending on the location.  They breed in permanent bodies of water such as wet lands, lakes, ponds, and streams. The males of the species will sit in the shallow edges of the water and call for the females. Once a female selects a mate, the male will grab her from behind and assume the amplexus position. The female will then lay between 1 – 7 thousand eggs. Neither parent will provide any care for the tadpoles. The tadpoles of the Green Frog are capable of surviving being in the water for a whole winter, allowing them more time to grow.

Blue morphs of the Green Frog can be found. They are born without the yellow pigment in their skin, leaving them blue instead of green! Pretty cool stuff.