Florida's Frogs & Toads
"True" Frogs (Family Ranidae)
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Carpenter Frog
(Lithobates virgatipes)
Carpenter Frog
Photo by Michael Graziano (University of Nebraska). This photo may not be used without the express written permission of the photographer.
Size:
Usually 1.5 to 2.5 in.
Identification:
Body is brownish, and lacks ridges along the sides of the body. Back is marked with two yellowish stripes down each side of the body; upper lip is also marked with a yellowish line. Belly is yellowish white, and marked with dark spots. Like all "true frogs," they have large eardrums and webbed hind feet.
Breeding:
April to August; eggs are laid in clusters (200-600 eggs) attached to vegetation. Call is a repeated, ka'tunk, much like distant carpenters hammering just slightly out of sync. To hear frog calls, visit the USGS Frog Call Lookup and select the species you want to hear from the common name drop-down list.
Diet:
Crayfish, insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.
Habitats:
Found in Florida only in extreme northern Florida in Okeefenokee Swamp and Osceola National Forest. Breeds in bogs, bayheads, cypress swamps, and wet prairies.
Map by Monica E. McGarrity - may be used freely for education.
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