The dog days of August are settling over panhandle Florida. This period is typified by the hot, humid days and nights which induce languid behavior in most of the residents, human or not.
Dog days began during the ancient Roman Empire when Sirius, identified as the Dog Star, was present in the skies. If Sirius was angry, the weather heated up more.
Even today there is a muted tone to the days as the temperature heats up. Only the buzz of the occasional insect can be heard during the warmer parts of the day.
Nights are different when Sirius soars above. There is a manic, raucous quality under the diamond sparkling star light as temperatures retreat to a more manageable level and humidity surges to the saturation point.
Barred owls call out boisterously through the shadowy haze as familiar forms convert to strange shapes. Creatures great and small will probe in the dark and gloom for meals, mates and territory to claim.
A variety of frogs and toads are members of panhandle Florida’s nocturnal chorus. Each has its on vocal range and distinctive song to deliver during the dark hours of any locale with enough water and insect snacks to support their unending appetites.
The greatest clamor comes from the ponds and swamps with a blend of frog species populating the waters and shore. The rolling chorus surges and retreats as round after round pulses through the night.
The bullfrogs’ bass-baritone voices penetrate the night air with a steady cello-like chord. The largest native frog in North America, it reaches a maximum body length of eight inches.
The bullfrog’s diet consists of just about any animal it can fit in its mouth and swallow.
This includes, but is not limited to, insects, snakes, small turtles, tadpoles, rodents, crayfish, and other frogs. It will, given the opportunity, cannibalize its own kind by eating other bullfrogs.
Bullfrogs demonstrate various forms of aggression to establish social and mating dominance.
Its stance is a key factor in establishing social position and intimidating challengers, bellowing through the night.
The Southern Leopard Frog adds to the nocturnal pandemonium with its grunting and chirping voice. It is generally green or brown in color, with a distinctive light spot occurring in the center of its eardrum.
It has a long and distinctly pointed head, and a light line extends along its upper jaw. The dark spots on the upper surface of its body are highly variable in occurrence, and often elongated.
Like the bullfrog, the southern leopard frog is indiscriminately carnivorous. Insects, worms, spiders, and any other animal it can stuff in its three-and-a-half-inch body are on the menu.
Native tree frogs are well adapted to life in forested environments in and around swamps. Their toes have adhesive disks that allow them to climb easily on bark or twigs.
Their high-pitched staccato chirping contributes to the orchestral quality of the nightly amphibian concert.
Because they often appear or are heard during rain storms, folklore and legends regard these frogs to be “weather prophets.”
They too are indiscriminately carnivorous. Little fish or tadpoles, mosquitos and any other tiny animal it can catch in its inch long body are used to energize the little frogs with the big voices.
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