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Agile frog Facts

Agile frog Facts
Agile frog belongs to the family of true frogs. It can be found in north, central and southern parts of Europe. Agile frog inhabits swampy meadows and forests. It usually resides in deciduous forests which provide some source of water, but it can also survive in warm, dry forests. Pollution of the water with pesticides, habitat loss (due to urbanization and accelerated development of agriculture) and introduction of new species (which hunt and eat agile frogs) led to drastic reduction in the number of agile frogs in the wild. Agile frog is listed as endangered in Spain.
Interesting Agile frog Facts:
Agile frog can reach 2 to 3.5 inches in length. Females are larger than males.
Agile frog has light brown, reddish-brown or grey-brown back. Dark brown triangular-shaped markings stretch from the temple to the eardrum. Hind legs are covered with dark bands. Bottom side of the body is white in color. Males change color of the body into dark brown during the breeding season.
Agile frog has pointed snout, thin body and long hind legs with webbed feet. Eyes have horizontal pupils. One third of iris (above pupils) is golden, and remaining two thirds are black colored.
Agile frog is active in the morning and early in the evening.
Agile frog is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on earthworms, flies and beetles. Millipedes, centipedes and spiders are occasionally on the menu.
Agile frog can travel distance of 6.5 feet in a single leap (thanks to its long legs) when it needs to escape from predators.
Major predators of tadpoles are ducks and fish, while cats hunt and eat adult agile frogs.
Agile frog hides under the leaves, logs and rocks during the dry periods of year.
Agile frogs hibernates from September-October to January-March.
Breeding season of agile frog usually takes place during the first three weeks of March. In the case that weather conditions are unfavorable, agile frogs delay breeding until April.
Males often gather in groups on the surface of the water and produce quiet "rog, rog, rog" calls to attract females.
Calls usually last 12 seconds. Agile frogs are also able to produce them under the water.
Female lays 450 to 1.800 eggs covered with protective, gelatinous layer. They are deposited in the shallow pools of water during the night. Eggs remain attached to the stems or roots of various aquatic plants on a depth of 2 to 16 inches until they hatch. Unlike other frogs, agile frogs divide their eggs in several clumps.
Tadpoles emerge from the eggs usually 2.5 months later. They transform into froglets (young frogs) after 2 to 4 months. Young agile frogs grow quickly and reach sexual maturity during the second year of life.
Agile frogs can survive up to 7 years in the wild.


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