Interesting Facts of the Bronze Frog

The bronze frog is a smaller subspecies of the northern green frog. They are a shy, rarely seen species, but can be found more easily during the mating season. Often called the banjo frog, the males' distinctive mating call has been described as sounding like a plucked loose banjo string.

  1. Description

    • The bronze frog is a small species growing to between 2 and 4 inches in length. The species gets its name from the brownish-bronze coloration of its skin. They have a white spotted underside and a dark green mouth and nose area. Male frogs often have a yellowish throat area. As a member of the family known as true frogs, the species has perfectly smooth skin. The species also has larger tympanum, or ear discs, on the side of their heads than most frog types.

    Habitat and Distribution

    • The species is found mainly in swampland marshes and shallow streams or ponds. They are most commonly found in the southeastern U.S., ranging from North Carolina to much of northeastern Texas. A shy species, they are often found hiding in rotted logs or under natural debris such as leaves during the day, coming out mostly in the evenings.

    Diet and Predators

    • Like most species, the bronze frog eats a diet of mainly small insects, worms and anything small enough to swallow. It is also semi-cannibalistic and will eat other smaller frog species if given the chance. The species has plenty of predators in its home range, including many varieties of birds and small mammals such as raccoons. Due to a permeable skin, the species is also at risk from pollutants and can often be used as a yardstick for the quality of a water source. High bronze frog population indicates low pollution.

    Life Cycle

    • The species' breeding season lasts from early spring through most of the summer. Female frogs can lay between 2,000 and 4,000 eggs in a season, distributed in small clumps on underwater vegetation. Within two weeks, the small eggs hatch out into tadpoles and begin the race to metamorphose, needing to reach a size of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Once the tadpoles make the change into frogs, they reach sexual maturity generally the next summer. In the wild, frogs can live for between seven and 10 years.