The hot days of August can be endured in a variety of ways. Of course there is always the ever present air conditioned environment, but it is getting a bit claustrophobic in these days of social distancing.
Another alternative is a trip up north, way up north. A change of scenery combined with a drop in the thermometer reading is nice, however it will likely involve a two week quarantine assuming the authorities allow admittance to the chosen destination.
For those who must remain in north Florida during these sultry weeks, there is but one satisfactory opportunity that will relieve the heat distress and not create economic distress. A dip in the local springs or rivers will provide an immediate respite, but be aware others have the same idea and most are not human.
One of the many creatures which is encountered in or near freshwater are frogs in one of their developmental phases. Florida has 27 native frog species, and all can be encountered in the north part of the state.
These amphibians are commonly broken into three classifications. Terrestrial frogs, usually called toads, spend their lives on the ground.
Leaf litter, the underside of decaying logs and environments with heavy foliage cover are the usual sites where these coldblooded animals reside. Some, like the Southern Toad, even burrow into the soil.
The close quarters have several advantages for these small carnivores. First is the availability of food in the form of insects, snails and slugs, along with other small invertebrates.
A close second in importance is concealment from predators. A long list of mammals, birds and reptiles agree toads are tasty.
Curiously, some domestic dogs will attack toads which enter their territory. In many cases, the toads excrete a chemical compound through their skin which irritates the dog’s mouth and causes foaming.
To the uninitiated, it may appear the pooch’s poor judgement has resulted in a sudden case of rabies. In reality, the irritation will end shortly and hopefully has taught a lesson. Some learn, some go on to repeat the mistake.
Arboreal frogs live in the confines of trees and bushes, but are commonly encountered on buildings and other stationary structures. Some warm humid morning they will scramble up to dew laden windshields, but quickly depart when the vehicle moves.
Most species in this classification are excellent climbers with noticeably larger toepads. Their sticky wet toes help them scale almost everything from porches to people, and they do feel a bit slimy.
As the name suggest, aquatic frogs spend a majority of their lives in waters. Their toes are webbed, which is useful for swimming in waters shared by prey and predators.
August and September is the conclusion of frog and toad breeding season. With the exception of the Greenhouse Frog, a terrestrial species, any of Florida’s frogs can be encountered in an aquatic environment.
Their eggs laid in wet habitats quickly hatch into tadpoles. This larval state looks almost nothing like mature frogs and toads.
The football shaped body of the tadpoles is propelled through the water with a flat tail. They are usually seen in large groups darting about erratically in their shallow pools.
The tadpole’s back legs grow first, followed by the front legs. Their lungs begin to develop during this phase and they can be seen breaking the water’s surface for gulps of air.
At the same time the tail will start to diminish. Before long it will transform into the shape of a frog.
In panhandle Florida bullfrogs have the largest tadpoles, followed by the leopard frog. Occasionally, tadpoles of any species will mysteriously appear is some very unusual places, like birdbaths or kiddy pools, which puzzles most onlookers.
This is usually caused by wading birds. Frog eggs adhere to the avian’s legs or feet, and are then deposited at some out-of-the-way site when there is a stopover in civilization.
While sharing the cooling waters during this summer’s dog days, remember it is okay if the frogs do not abide by social distancing protocols. There are no documented cases of COVID-19 or warts transmitted by frogs, but they are wet and a bit cold.
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