Around here these small (about 1 inch), warty-skinned amphibians can be quite common. They are usually brown or grayish with darker banding on their legs and often have a dark triangular mark between the eyes.

The Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is usually found in the open sandy or muddy areas around streams and ponds. They also can utilize temporary water bodies if near permanent water. I usually see them around large puddles.

If startled, they end up hopping into the water. Though unlike most frogs which dive when alarmed, cricket frogs usually get a few feet out into water and then turn back around and head back to the shore.

This tiny frog gets its name because it resembles a cricket while hopping along through the grass.

It has a distinctive breeding call consisting of a rapid series of metallic clicks, similar to the sound made when two pebbles or marbles are tapped together.

Unfortunately this species is declining rapidly across much of its entire range. I am glad to have encountered them on this trip.

Third Eye Herp
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