Ranidae
Rana clamitans, Green Frog
Iowa's green
frogs are often brown when full y grown and the sides and
back are mottled with small, irregular, dark brown spots.
Occasional specimens are almost free of spots. The legs have
distinct brown bands, the tympanum has a light center, and
the dorsolateral folds are distinct behind the head but
terminate about mid-body. The young are even more spotted
and difficult to tell from young bullfrogs. This frog gets
large, up to 4 inches (102 mm) long. It is easily separated
from most other Iowa ranids by the lack of distinct round,
square,
or
elongated spots on a light green or gray background. In all
other Iowa ranids except the bullfrog, the dorsolateral
folds extend posteriorly past the legs.
The
bullfrog can be distinguished by its lack of dorsolateral
folds and its more fully webbed hind feet, with only one
free phalanx on the longest toe. The green frog,
Rana clamitans
melanota
is the only
subspecies found in Iowa.
The call of the
green frog is a thing of beauty,
especially for a ranid.
Unlike
the guttural sounds made by
Rana
pipiens
and its
relatives,
the low-pitched
"clung"
of a
green frog is like a single, clear banjo note, repeated
slowly
and more
softly each time in a short series. The call alone is enough
to easily identify a male with certainty.
A chorus
of green frogs sounds like a group of banjo players tuning
up