# General Topics > Fieldwork >  Green Frog?

## Carlos

Visited the Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. facilities yesterday (Virginia Beach, couple blocks to oceanfront) and while walking around the man made pond meditation area, came to this little frog that got spooked and easily jumped across couple feet of water.



When approached it went from ground on lower right, to mossy ledge on farther water border (top left) in pic.

Slowly approached with cell phone (no camera on hand) and took the second pic.



First thought it was _Lithobates clamitans_, a Green Frog; but the chocolate color and small tympanic membrane... kind of makes me wonder  :EEK!:  ? 

Around 2 in. SVL with a clearly marked ridge that starts behind eye and goes all the way to rear leg.  Color was chocolate with no greens anywhere.  Some darker spotting below the ridge line.  Very sharp pointy snout and a smaller than eye tympanic membrane.  What do you guys think?

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## Brian

Looks like a Wood Frog, _Rana sylvatica._ Looks like it has the characteristic mask on the eyes, but it's a small pic :Smile: .

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## Carlos

> Looks like a Wood Frog, _Rana sylvatica._ Looks like it has the characteristic mask on the eyes, but it's a small pic.


Could well be  :Smile:  !  Actually thought about it; but mask was not too clear and Virginia Beach is nowhere near their VA distribution areas.  Maybe someone introduced it to pond  :EEK!:  .

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## Eli

The small tympanum could mean its a female green frog? My old female green frog had teeny little ears.

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## Brian

The dark mask is occasional spotty, especially on the tympanum (see attached :Smile: ). Wood Frogs also have black marks under the front limbs near the shoulders, which your picture may show (sort of, I'm not sure :Smile: ). You aren't too far out of the range map for it to be implausible, and introduced is certainly feasible, especially for a man made pond.

I don't suppose there's any chance of going back with a net or camera in hand :Smile: ?

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## Eli

Im noticing a spot in the tympanum. Do the wood frogs have this? Do bronze frogs live in virginia? They are like a subspecies of green frogs right?

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## Carlos

> ...I don't suppose there's any chance of going back with a net or camera in hand?


I can go back with camera and hope get lucky to photo frog again... it's a large pond area.  The net is a no-no; imagine they would not like someone in their private pond with a net looking like it's capturing their fish or animals  :EEK!:  .

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## Brian

> I can go back with camera and hope get lucky to photo frog again... it's a large pond area.  The net is a no-no; imagine they would not like someone in their private pond with a net looking like it's capturing their fish or animals  .


It's a meditative garden, tell them petting frogs is how you relax :Smile: 




> Im noticing a spot in the tympanum. Do the wood frogs have this? Do bronze frogs live in virginia? They are like a subspecies of green frogs right?


The tympanum on a wood frog is generally black or very dark- the same colour as it's mask usually but it is occasionally spotty and they can vary quite a bit in their colouration. Bronze frogs are a fair bit to the south from Virginia, but those range maps... :Smile: 

Have you ruled out southern leopard frog? If that is a distinct spot on the tympanum, this would be more likely. They aren't always super spotty.

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## Carlos

> ...Have you ruled out southern leopard frog? If that is a distinct spot on the tympanum, this would be more likely. They aren't always super spotty.


Think you got it Brian  :Big Applause:  !  Went to look at pics of _Rana sphenocephala_ - Southern Leopard Frog and found a couple of brown ones with little to no spotting.  The ridges, body and pointy face all match.  Thanks for the help with ID  :Smile:  !

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## Randy

i was going to say leopard frog seen plenty around here look like that .

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