5 Types of FROGS Found in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Do you want to learn about the different frogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
If so, you’ve come to the right place! In the article below, I have listed the frogs you can expect to see. For each species, you’ll find out how to identify that frog correctly, along with pictures, interesting facts, and RANGE MAPS!
5 types of frogs that live in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
#1. Common Frog
- Rana temporaria
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 11 cm long.
- They have a short, blunt snout and partially webbed feet.
- Their coloring varies, from nearly black to pale brown, sometimes red or yellowish. The most typical markings are a white upper lip and a dark patch behind the eye.
The Common Frog is the most widespread frog in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It lives in nearly every habitat with stagnant water, including ponds, ditches, flooded meadows, and swamps. So if you have a pond in your garden, this species is most likely using it.
Common Frogs breed explosively, meaning that hundreds of these frogs gather together and breed simultaneously. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see the bottom of entire ponds covered in frog eggs during the breeding season.
Their unusual breeding strategy means young frogs emerge in unbelievable numbers during late summer. However, some late-hatching tadpoles hibernate over winter and emerge the following spring instead.
#2. Moor Frog
- Rana arvalis
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults typically grow up to 6 cm long, occasionally up to 8 cm.
- Their normal coloring is pale brown with dark brown streaks. They have three ridges that run down their backs.
- During breeding, males turn completely blue. This coloring only lasts a few days.
If you happen to see a male Moor Frog during its breeding season, you won’t mistake it for any other species. These fascinating creatures turn bright blue to advertise when they’re ready to mate! It’s incredible to see a usually plain frog take on such vivid colors.
Although they’re less colorful outside the breeding season, Moor Frogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina are relatively easy to find. They spend most of their time on land and are active during the day. Plus, they’re not as skittish as other species, so it’s easy to get a good look.
Moor Frogs inhabit moors, as their name suggests, but can also be found in flooded meadows, lakes, and temporary water sources.
#3. Agile Frog
- Rana dalmatina
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults are 8 cm long.
- This species has a slender body and long legs.
- Coloring is light brown above, with pale cream to white on the belly. The legs are banded with dark brown or black, and they have a black patch behind the eye.
The Agile Frog is one species that has EARNED its common name. This large, light-colored frog can leap incredible distances when disturbed. It’s known to cover up to two meters in a single bound!
Look for Agile Frogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina on land near ditches, ponds, and flooded meadows. They are active day and night and spend most of their time hunting for beetles, their main food source.
To recognize this species’ distinct call, listen for a five- to ten-second, high-pitched cry. It often calls in a series, with each note becoming longer, higher-pitched, and further spaced.
#4. Marsh Frog
- Pelophylax ridibundus
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 15 cm long.
- They have a pointed snout, robust body, and long, powerful legs.
- This species’ coloring is dark green to olive, fading to brown on the sides and legs.
- They have black blotches across the body, which form bands on the hind legs.
Look for Marsh Frogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina in deep ponds, lakes, and larger rivers.
These large, loud frogs are hard to miss!
Although you shouldn’t have trouble spotting a Marsh Frog, you might have a harder time identifying one. This is because it’s often confused with its close relatives, the Graf’s Hybrid Frog and the Iberian Water Frog. The Marsh Frog is the largest of the three, but the best way to differentiate these species is by your location.
You can also listen for the Marsh Frog’s distinctive voice, a series of evenly spaced metallic squeaks.
#5. Greek Stream Frog
- Rana graeca
Identifying Characteristics:
- Adults grow up to 7 cm long.
- This species has a blunt snout, partially webbed feet, and large eyes with horizontal pupils.
- Their coloring is brown overall, with black mottling and some white spots.
- A dark black patch behind the eye is underlined in white.
Greek Stream Frogs prefer the fast-moving, oxygenated water of streams and small rivers. They’re a high-elevation species and sometimes even occur above the tree-line in mountain areas.
Look for these frogs in Europe near small waterfalls and under rocks.
Most individuals of this species hibernate during the cold season, but some Greek Stream Frogs are active all year in the right conditions.
Another way to recognize this frog is its distinctive call. It makes a hoarse, low-pitched grunt. Some observers have compared it to the sound of a burp!
If you need additional help identifying frogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, check out this field guide!
Do you want to learn more about animals in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Check out these other ID Guides!
- The 29 MOST Common Birds Found in Bosnia and Herzegovina!
- The 13 Types of Snakes That Live in Europe! (ID Guide)
- 50 Amazing ANIMALS to see in Bosnia and Herzegovina! (ID guide w/ pics)
- The Incredible LIZARDS that live in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Which of these frogs have you seen before in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
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