Dec 27, 2018 – More small wildlife is showing up in my yard – much to my delight! This afternoon, walking through the garden, I spotted what looked like a green blob in my Florida Privet. Taking a closer look, I found a little frog, about 2-1/2 inches long, resting on the stake that straightens the Privet. A little research and I concluded he was an American Green Tree Frog. What a handsome fellow! Their bodies are usually green in shades ranging from bright yellowish-olive to lime green. The color can change depending on lighting or temperature. They are found in central and southeastern US. American Green Tree frogs consume flies, mosquitoes and other small insects like crickets. I’m happy to have him in my yard.
I watched from my office as a finch flitted from Simpson Stopper to Flatwood Plum tree to Florida Privet. I wanted to get my binoculars to get a better look, but I could not take my eyes off him.
In the evening, I took a drink to the glider and tried to coax my cat to enjoy some fresh air. Generally, Kocka just takes up a sentry pose at the door to the laundry waiting patiently to be let back inside. But this night he decided to explore the path between the house & the wildflower garden. We were both startled when a rabbit skedaddled from under the tropical sage, headed across the driveway to the neighbor’s yard. Kocka headed back into the garage!
The Monarch Butterflies seem to be gone, but a Cloudless Sulphur butterfly appeared, zipping around the Tropical Sage and Blanket Flowers briefly. Such a lovely lemon yellow color!
And after dark, I spotted a Southern Toad on my walkway. Southern Toads burrow in the soil or under cover objects in virtually any urbanized or natural terrestrial habitat. Their call is a combination of a hum and a whistle! Their diet consists of ants, bees, beetles, crickets, roaches, snails, and other invertebrates. I’m not so happy about the bees, but the rest they can have!
American Green Tree Frog
Southern Toad
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