Over the past few of months, we’ve been receiving a lot of rain. You may have also heard a lot of noise going on outside. Most of the noise is from local frogs and toads. What’s all the chirping, peeping and croaking about? Basically, frogs love rain and the water it brings to local ponds and streams!

Frogs are amphibians, which means that part of their lives they live in the water and the other part they live on land. Regardless, most frogs are drawn to sources of water. Even though they are drawn to it, frogs don’t have to drink to satisfy their thirst, their skin actually absorbs water!

You can actually find frogs living all over the place. Some frogs live in water and others just visit. Frogs live in or near ponds and streams while others live in trees. Some frogs make burrows on land, or hang out in burrows built by other animals. One example is the Gopher Frog, a local native here in Florida, which is often found in the burrow of the Gopher Tortoise.

Frogs eat mainly insects, but they themselves are hunted by several species including birds, raccoons, turtles, snakes and humans. We, however, not only eat frogs but we are the major threat to the destruction of their habitats with development and chemical runoff. For example, if you live near a pond, stream or lake there is a likelihood that the lawns surrounding it are being treated for bugs and weeds with chemicals. When it rains these chemicals are washed into these water bodies and become a threat to the animals that live in it.

Here in Florida, we have about 33 species of frogs and toads. They each have their own special look and sound. Take a look in your own backyard and see if you can identify some of the species you find. Also try to listen to the difference in their sound. There are several websites available to help you identify the frogs and toads you hear. One site you can visit is the University of Florida’s web site ww.wec.ufl.edu/extension/frogs/. Have a hoppin’ good time!