Agile Frog

Fascinating facts about the Agile Frog

• The agile frog's hind legs are unusually long, giving it a remarkable leaping ability. These limbs let the frog propel itself up to two metres in a single bound, a distance greater than that of other similar frogs. Such powerful jumps help it move quickly through its forest habitat and escape predators. The long-leged build is a defining feature of this species.
• When the breeding season arrives, male agile frogs emit a soft "rog … rog … rog" call that can continue for as long as twelve seconds. The call sounds much like a clucking chicken and is quiet enough that it is only audible at close range. Males produce this vocalisation while perched on the water surface, attracting nearby females. The brief, low-volume nature of the call makes it easy to miss unless one is nearby.
• Male agile frogs often call while they are submerged beneath the water's surface. Because sound travels poorly through water, the vocalisations can only be heard over a short distance by observers on the shore. This underwater calling habit means the frogs' calls are difficult to detect unless one is very close to the water. The behaviour limits how far their breeding calls can be heard.
• The agile frog deposits its eggs in clumps that contain between 450 and 1800 embryos, fastening each mass to tree branches, roots or plant stems. These egg masses are positioned only 5-40 cm below the water surface, which keeps them from sinking to the pond bottom. Spawning is a brief event lasting just a few days, during which males may gather in large calling groups on the water to attract females.
• Archaeological evidence shows the agile frog inhabited Great Britain during the middle Saxon period, with remains uncovered in East Anglia, indicating a historic western range beyond its current distribution. Modern conservation groups have considered re-introducing the species to the UK, and a successful reintroduction was carried out on Jersey by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust after the frog nearly disappeared from the island.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Agile Frog

In the sun-dappled ponds and lakes of Europe, the agile frog embodies its name, darting with effortless ease through the aquatic undergrowth, its slender limbs propelling it with a quiet urgency. As it moves, the dappled patterns on its back seem to shift and shimmer, a masterful camouflage that allows it to vanish and reappear at will, a fleeting glimpse of emerald and brown. With its remarkable jumping ability, the agile frog can cover great distances in a single bound, a testament to its remarkable adaptability and resilience.

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