Froggy in Florida

When this REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA thinks of green, rough-skinned, big-eyed Florida creatures…the first answer is alligator.  Yes we have our fair share of alligators here, but this blog is about FROGS.

Brian and I inherited a wind chime when we moved into our new home. It is attached to the house, outside the lanai and has a nice sound when there is a breeze.

 

Brian noticed that the chimes weren’t sounding as clear and pleasant as they used to sound. So he got out the ladder and investigated. It turns out that there was a community of frogs living in the chimes!

He gave them an immediate eviction notice and sent them on their way.  The joke is on us, because they know the way back.  These frogs are great climbers.  They climb up the windows and hop over to the wind chime.  Yes, we have squatter frogs!  At night when we are watching TV, the frogs pop their heads out and watch us.  

I used a website of the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at the University of Florida to identify these frogs as Cuban Treefrogs, a non-native invasive frog that lives in trees, bushes or on buildings (Arboreal group).   The Cuban Treefrog is identified by its large toe pads.

I found another website by the United States Geological Survey where you can play frog calls.  The Cuban Treefrog sounded like the chatter outside our windows at night. 

Sometimes it is the small stuff that keeps a smile on a
REAL RETIRED HOUSEWIFE OF FLORIDA.