Amphibian
Southern Cricket Frog
Acris gryllusAlso known as Southeastern Cricket Frog
Southern cricket frogs are diminutive, terrestrial treefrogs renowned for their explosive leaping ability, often clearing distances over forty times their body length to escape danger. Males gather in dense choruses along wetland margins, producing sharp, metallic clicking calls that resemble marbles striking together or pebbles clicked in rapid succession. Active both day and night, these non-climbing hylids spend their lives foraging on muddy banks and emergent vegetation across sunny southeastern wetlands.
AmphibianNocturnalWetland
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preySpringtails, Small flies, Spiders
Predators
- Banded watersnake
- Green heron
- American bullfrog
ThreatsWetland draining, habitat fragmentation, agricultural runoff, and invasive aquatic predators.
HabitatsShallow ponds, cypress swamps, bogs, drainage ditches, and marshes with abundant emergent vegetation.
Life span1–3 years
Classification
- OrderAnura
- FamilyHylidae
- GenusAcris
- SpeciesAcris gryllus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listening by water: Cup your ears near sunny marsh margins in spring and summer to pinpoint their pebble-clicking chorus.
- Watching your step: Approach muddy shorelines slowly, as startled adults launch several meters across open water in erratic zig-zag leaps.
- Handling precautions: Avoid touching wild amphibians, as lotions, salts, and oils on human skin can harm their porous epidermal layers.
Predator (c) Andrew Durso, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
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Species set
Moonlight Marvels
Southern Cricket Frog is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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