415: Frogs, Frogs, Frogs! 3:30-4:30pm Fri April 7, 2017
David Stokes, Educator, Humorist, Naturalist
The Frog Chorus Nature Education
New Berlin, Wisconsin
www.dwstokes.com
Using songs, stories, sign-language, toys, puppets and real live frogs, we will examine up close
and personal the cool stuff about frogs. Not for the squeamish.
Child Development (DEV)
Frogs are very exciting to young children. How can we learn about them, teach about them, and
share the wonder with children? Through humor, songs, live animals and toys we will address
the Frogs and why they are important.
Tentative Outline:
Using the Birdsong Identiflier with the Frog Card: Press the Pseudacris crucifer button
“What do you hear?” “Everybody say: Tree Frog” (using the sign for Tree and Frog)
“Repeat after me! There is no frog in Wisconsin that says ‘Ribbit’!”
Frogs are amphibians: meaning double life; that is part of their life is on land and part is in the
water. For Anurans (frogs & toads), the young spends time in the water and the adult
breathes air with lungs. Usually the female is larger than males.
Males sing and females usually are silent. Amphibians include frogs & salamanders, about
2,500 species. All have backbones and are predators. They lay eggs and are ectotherms/coldblooded.
Tree frogs have toes that act like suction cups and can walk upside down on glass.
They usually lay eggs one a time. They grow up in the water and live as adults in the trees and
shrubs. There are 5 tree frogs in Wisconsin. Males are the ones that sing.
Northern Spring Peeper, which is brown and has an ‘x’ or ‘crucifer’ on its back.
The Spring peeper sound is a high-pitched Peep! Or whistle.
Eastern Gray Tree frog, which can turn colors and be gray or green.
The Eastern Gray Tree frog sound is a trill.
Cope’s Gray Tree Frog, which is slightly smaller than the Eastern.
The Cope’s Gray Tree Frog has a raspy trill sound.
Western Chorus Frog, which is brown and has stripes instead of an ‘X’ on back
The Western Chorus Frog sound is like running a fingernail up a stiff comb.
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is brown or dark green and sounds like two stones are being
knocked against each other.
We have one Toad in Wisconsin and it has paritoid glands on its back that contain a poison
that tastes bad. No web feet and no toe pads.
American Toad is brown and does not cause warts!
Its sound is a long-sustained trill.
We have 6 species of True Frogs (with webbed back feet) in Wisconsin Females are usually
bigger than males, especially when fully developed.
Wood Frog is brown with a black or dark brown mask. It is a True frog with
webbed feet.
Its sound is like quacking ducks.
Green Frog has two dorsolateral folds (ridges) down its backside.
Its sound is like “gah gung”.
Northern Leopard Frog has large roundish spots on its body.
Its sound is like rubbing your fingers across a wet balloon.
Pickerel Frog is like Leopard frog but has squarish spots.
Mink Frog is brown and olive color, and has a distinct musky smell to its skin.
Bullfrog is the largest WI frog. One female was found at 8 pounds.
It is green and the males usually have a yellow throat and large eardrums,
tympanic membranes. Their sound is a loud growling “jug of rum”.
Resources:
1. Amphibians of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Pub.
Rebecca Christoffel/Robert Hay/Michelle Wolfgram
WI DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources 101 S. Webster St.
P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI. 53707
www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/publications/pdf/herp_order/pdf
2. Wisconsin’s 12 frog calls, $7.00to Madison Audubon Society,
222 S. Hamilton St-Suite 1, Madison, WI. 53703)
3. The Birdsong Identiflyer (Frog Card) www.identiflyer.com
4. Illinois IDNR Clearinghouse at 217-782-7498 or [email protected].
5. http://frognirvana.com/grant.php
6. http://www.allaboutfrogs.org/