Tree frog friend!

This little guy is a red-toed tree frog, sitting on a leaf of a Pelliciera rhizophorae seedling. We don't usually see a lot of frogs in the mangrove swamps, but this is at least the second one I've blogged about!Isn't it cute?

There's a snake in my boot!

Actually there's a frog in my tub! Tub of plants, that is; not my bathtub. This little guy pictured here has been hiding out in the shady, cool tub of water that happens to be holding some of my experimental plants. I was curious about what kind of frog it is. Florida has lots of native frogs but also is now home to an invasive frog, the Cuban tree frog Osteopilus septentrionalis. And you thought there were enough Cubans in Florida! Supposedly this species has been in Florida since the 1920s; individuals probably arrived as stowaways on ships. How do I know it is a Cuban tree frog? There is a definitive test: touch the top of the frog's head and feel if the skin moves when you push it around (you can test this on your own head; your skin should move). If the skin does not move, it is a Cuban tree frog. This frog had skin well attached to its head, and it felt pretty weird to touch.

A knight in shining armor

This is my new best friend:

It is an hourglass tree frog (Hyla ebraccata). It lives in areas with heavy rainfall and its geographic range extends from Mexico to Panama. The name comes from the dark hourglass pattern on its back:

I thought this particular frog might be a prince, so I tried to kiss him but he would have none of it. Don't tell my boyfriend.