Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: frog

"Coloration varies from pink-tan, gray, olive-green, various shades of brown, to almost black; whitish jaw stripe contrasts with a dark eye mask that extends from the nostril over the eye and just behind the ear; light dorsal stripe is frequently present" From fanweb.ca/resources-services/alberta-natural-history/amph... The following link goes to a short, fascinating video on YouTube, about how Wood Frogs freeze solid in the winter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM The day started very early for us on 3 June 2016, as a few regulars had been invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch for the very first time, to do a Bio-blitz. We had to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am for a day of exploration SW of Calgary. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C. Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. This list is sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed. A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up. List of birds seen, compiled by our leader: Canada Goose-4 ad/10 juv Mallard-1 f/1 juv Common Merganser-1 m Swainson’s Hawk-1 Red-tailed Hawk-1 Killdeer-1 Spotted Sandpiper-1 Great Gray Owl-reported by residents Belted Kingfisher-1 Pileated Woodpecker, evidenced by extraction of Carpenter Ants Gray Jay-2 Common Raven-2 Tree Swallow-4 Cliff Swallow-100+ Barn Swallow-6 Boreal Chickadee-1 Red-breasted Nuthatch-2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet-2 Winter Wren-1 Mountain Bluebird-8 American Robin-3 Tennessee Warbler-4 Chipping Sparrow-2 Clay-colored Sparrow-5 Savannah Sparrow-2 Song Sparrow-1 Brown-headed Cowbird-4 American Goldfinch-1 m “In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.” www.squarebutteranches.com/

Friend, Karel, calls himself a Herper. “Herpetology (from Greek "herpien" meaning "to creep") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and reptiles (includingsnakes, lizards, amphisbaenids, turtles, terrapins, tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuataras).” From Wikipedia. Unfortunately, in Alberta, we have only one species of lizard and about four or five kinds of snake, so Karel has turned his attention to wildflowers, fungi, etc. He leads one of our botany outings each week (though I have missed most of them this season) and, if we are lucky enough to have had enough rain for enough mushrooms to grow, may lead a fungi walk or two. This photo of Karel was taken yesterday, 3 June 2016, when a few regulars were invited to visit the Square Butte Ranch, SW of Calgary, to do a Bio-blitz. Karel is holding a little Wood Frog; always a fun find on any trip. The day started very early for us, having to be at the meeting place for 7:00 am, so my alarms were set for 4:30 am. The sun was shining all day and the temperature was around 24C or 25C. Our leader creates a highly detailed list of all the plants, birds, insects, fungi, lichen, mosses that were seen during the few hours we were there. Can’t forget to include wildlife seen – one Red Squirrel : ) This list is also sent to the person who invited us there as well as to the participants. This was a new place for us to explore, though over the years, we had been to several other acreages not too far away. We strolled over grassy meadows with ponds, and through forest covered in deep, soft mosses. Everywhere was a carpet of Dandelions in bloom and in seed. For me, the highlight of the day was when a Morel mushroom was spotted! I so rarely see these and I have been hoping recently that someone would find one somewhere. A few bird species were seen, including a Belted Kingfisher which landed at the top of a very tall coniferous tree, looking rather out of place so high up. “In the 1990’s, developers started transforming 480 acres of rangeland in the Foothills of the Rockies into a recreational ranch property operated as a bare land condominium. Architectural guidelines ensured that all buildings were designed in a rustic, western style featuring log and timber structures with large front porches, wrap around decks and hitching posts. The vision was one of owners being able to enjoy the fun and excitement of a western ranch living without the headaches.” www.squarebutteranches.com/

An update on my daughter who was in the hospital for a few days. She was allowed to go home three evenings ago, though the medical staff still aren't completely sure of the cause of the problem. She has a follow-up appointment in September, so hopefully she and we will know more at that time. Meanwhile, I feel totally drained, ha! A couple of days ago, on 25 August, 10 of us arrived at a friend's house, ready to go north of Calgary to near Sundre, for a few hours of botanizing, This was the second visit to Judy Osborne's for a few of us, me included. The previous trip was on 30 June 2015. By now, of course, a lot of the wildflowers are finished, but I found enough other things to photograph, including a distant, beautiful Red-tailed Hawk, a Wood Frog and a Yellowjacket (wasp), plus a few of the plants in my friends' garden at the beginning and end of the day. No scenery shots, as the visibility was so bad due to the smoke. There was nothing I could do about the single blade of grass that goes right across the Wood Frog's face. If I had tried to move it with my hiking pole, you know what the frog would have done : ) "Similar to other northern frogs that enter dormancy close to the surface in soil and/or leaf litter, wood frogs can tolerate the freezing of their blood and other tissues. Urea is accumulated in tissues in preparation for overwintering, and liver glycogen is converted in large quantities to glucose in response to internal ice formation. Both urea and glucose act as cryoprotectants to limit the amount of ice that forms and to reduce osmotic shrinkage of cells. Frogs can survive many freeze/thaw events during winter if no more than about 65% of the total body water freezes." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_frog Thanks so much, Judy, for having us out on your beautiful property again. It was a most enjoyable day, despite the dreadful, smoke-filled air (from forest fires burning in Washington State, northwest US). We look forward to being out there again next year! Many thanks, too, to Barry, who drove a few of us out there and back to Calgary. A long, long drive and it was much appreciated!

Posted just for the record - and because it makes me smile, remembering how much noise these very tiny Boreal Chorus Frogs make. They sound very much like someone running their fingers along a comb, over and over again. There is a temporary patch of water near the pathway in South Glenmore Park and we stopped to see if we could see even just one tiny frog. This one was eventually cleverly spotted (photo is 48x zoom plus cropped) and I caught it in full croak : ) "Alberta’s smallest frog measures a mere 2 – 4 cm. It varies in colour from dark brown to green with three dark stripes or lines of broken spots on its back and a white upper lip. It is more often heard than seen and the males mating calls in spring are quite loud. Their trill is similar to the sound made by dragging a thumbnail over the teeth of a stiff plastic comb. Breeding occurs between April and June, with males calling as soon as ponds are ice-free." www.albertaparks.ca/media/123451/amphibians.pdf

We saw this little Wood Frog yesterday, when six of us drove NW of Calgary for a day of botanizing the land belonging to Sarah Leete - her home is a rather fine wood cabin, originally the Morrison House.

This side view of the tiny Red Eyed Tree Frog allows you to see the rather beautiful greeny-blue pattern on its side. Love its red eyes and its big, orange feet : ) Seen at the Calgary Zoo in almost total darkness.

I was thrilled to bits to be told where to find these little guys at the Calgary Zoo. For so many years, I had seen photos of them, and always wished that I could see and photograph them. Had to aim at where I thought the frog was, as it was almost pitch black, and thankfully using flash worked out well. "Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice. These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety. Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues. Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests." From animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/red-eye...

Such a treat to come across two of these tiny Boreal Chorus Frogs when we botanized Horseshoe Canyon on 13th June. They were both down on the floor of the canyon. Horseshoe Canyon is a 1 1/2-2 hour drive north east of Calgary, across the prairie grasslands until suddenly one comes across the Badlands, our very own mini Grand Canyon : ) www.srd.alberta.ca/BioDiversityStewardship/WildSpecies/Am...

Happy Mother's Day, whether you are a Mother yourself or you are celebrating your own Mother (living, or living in your memory)! I've posted my photos so early today, as my plan was to go with two or three friends east of the city, to the wonderful Badlands. However, I have just checked the forecast for Drumheller and there is a 70% chance of precipitation (snow and rain this morning). Our destination, Horseshoe Canyon, is a very treacherous place if it has been wet or is raining. The Bentonite clay becomes extremely slippery and dangerous, and, though I was longing to go and botanize the Canyon, I am not willing to take that kind of risk. I've recently read too many stories of how people have slipped on the descent and slid all the way down to the Canyon floor. Maybe I'll just take a local drive somewhere, depending on whether our own grey skies clear. "Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice. These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety. Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues. Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests." From animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/red-eye...

Photographed this little endangered Leopard Frog through very dirty glass at the Calgary Zoo three days ago. "Over the last 35 years, Northern Leopard Frog (Rana piplens) populations have declined dramatically over much of the species' range in North America. Abrupt population declines were first noted in Alberta in 1979. Since then, populations appear to have been extirpated over much of central Alberta and are absent or greatly reduced in southern Alberta. Only a handful of viable breeding populations currently remain in southeastern Alberta. Because of its virtual disappearance from the province, the Northern Leopard Frog has been designated as an endangered species under the Alberta Wildlife Act." From www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/leopard_frog_int...

We saw this little guy/gal yesterday (was it really only yesterday?) on a walk at Edworthy Park (bottom of the hill and along the railway tracks). This is just a young Wood Frog and so was tiny (more like the size of our Boreal Chorus Frog). I've never held a frog (and I'm sure I never will), so thank you, Doug, for holding this little creature so that we could get a photo or two. S/he was so co-operative (LOL) and such a beautiful little thing. The following link goes to a short, fascinating video on YouTube, about how Wood Frogs freeze solid in the winter. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjr3A_kfspM

Art, this is for you! Thank you so much for all your wonderful visits, comments and awards and for taking the time to add links to such thoughtful songs, videos, music and so on! Very much appreciated. You'll probably know what kind of frog this is (which is more than I know). It was in the tiny lily pond at the Calgary Zoo.

I had to smile when I got home and saw the reflection or pattern in the tiny puddle on the lilypad. To me, it looks like a frog's face.

I rarely come across frogs, so I was very happy to see this little Wood Frog on one of my walks.

This is a Wood Frog, seen in Weaselhead. I rarely see frogs, so was happy to come across this little guy who seemed to be curious about my presence.

Not on MY hand! Someone else was willing to hold this small Boreal Chorus Frog so that I could take a photo.

Found when a number of us were crossing a stream on the local Indian Reserve. Not on MY hand!

Again, not on MY hand! This tiny Boreal Chorus Frog was found at Frank Lake, outside Calgary. Their size is 1.9 — 3.7 cm., making them the smallest species of frog in Canada. These brown to green frogs have three dark, sometimes broken stripes down their back. They belong to the tree frog family, but their toe discs are minute, and rarely do they climb higher than the tops of tall grasses.