Southern Cricket Frog

Range

This species is native of the Southeastern United States. This includes west to Mississippi River and north into Virginia

Habitats

The habitat of the southern cricket frog ranges from coastal plain bogs, bottomland swamps to ditches and ponds. This species prefers sunny areas and is hardly found in woodlands. Acris gryllus feeds on insects, ants, flies, beetles, leafhoppers arthropods and spiders. Breeding starts late spring to summer. Females lay up to 150 eggs at a time externally in a freshwater habitat. More than one mass of eggs may be produced in a season.

Identification

The southern cricket frog or acris gryllus is usually 0.75-1.5 inches in length. This species has a skin color that ranges from green to brown. The back of the southern cricket frog is marked with patches of yellow, black or green, forming a “Y” shaped line. Acris gryllus has a pointed snout. On the back of its thigh, is a sharply-defined black stripe. The hind feet of this species are sparsely webbed.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians