With all the rain we’ve had, it’s definitely been a good year for frogs.
My friend and I went hiking over the weekend near a marsh, and it was a bit freaky walking on part of the trail because the grass just ahead of our feet kept moving. At first I thought we were seeing snakes, but then I caught a brief glimpse of some of the critters scooting past my feet and they were definitely hopping.
Eventually we caught up to one of the Northern Leopard Frogs trying to get out from underfoot.
These frogs live near wetlands and overwinter at the bottom of lakes and ponds. Sometimes they are called meadow frogs because they travel up to two miles away from water.
Northern Leopard Frogs are the state amphibian for Vermont and Minnesota. Populations of this species are declining in the western U.S. and Canada due to habitat loss and other factors.