Stay Froggy

Hello nature friends!

Last week, a few of my friends and I walked to the golf course around eight o clock at night to observe the stars. We had heard from many of our classmates that the night sky was truly unbelievable and strongly suggested to go at least once before freshman year ended. So, after a full day of studying in preparation for our final exams, we trekked over to the Hanover Golf Club.

As I stared up into the sky, I could hear all of the sounds of the night. A few birds chirped, as if they were talking to each other. I heard the rustling of the trees as a slight breeze from the north rolled in. Even the distant night time sprinklers could be heard whirling around, promising golfers a beautiful course to play on in the morning. But one sound seemed to trump them all, the croaking from the many frogs. Their croaks echoed off the trees, disrupting the peacefulness of the golf course

After a half hour, we decided it was time to return home. I turned on my phone light and instantly caught sight of one of the many frogs croaking all around me. The frog was no bigger than a cue ball and was light green in color. Across the body, there were dark green spots that were symmetrical across a visible white line running along the spine of its back. This distinct coloration allowed the frog to be well camouflaged with the golf course grass and it was by chance that I discovered this frog. Another apparent characteristic was its hind legs. They were clearly more muscular than the forelegs, giving an illusion that the frog was thicker in the back. I now realize how these frogs are able to jump so far. Their back legs provide all the strength needed to jump a measureable distance on any terrain.

Remembering our nature assignments, I halted my friends and took pictures of the frog, but every time I approached it, the frog would jump at least three to five feet away. One time, the frog jumped towards one of my friends and she freaked out. We all laughed and continued in pursuit for more pictures. Here is a picture of the frog mid jump to show that the frog was camera shy.

After following the frog for five minutes, we all headed home to sleep.

The next day, I decided to do some research on the frog. Although I was unable to specifically identify this frog, I found a native species that resembles it. This species is the Fowler’s Toad or Anaxyrus fowleri, which is native to and is distributed throughout all of New Hampshire. It is usually two to three inches long, similar to the frog I observed, and has an analogous color pattern.

I am glad to have seen the New Hampshire starry night with my friends and spot one of the many frogs at the Hanover Golf Course. I will definitely be more vigilant when at the golf course late at night in order to see more frogs.

Till next time,

Christian Trejo