Amphibians
Florida Bog Frog
Lithobates okaloosae · also called Florida bog frogs
Along a tannin-stained seepage stream in the Florida Panhandle, a low, clucking call gives away the presence of a Florida bog frog, a species whose entire world consists of a handful of acidic streams confined to just two counties anywhere on Earth.
Overview
The Florida bog frog, Lithobates okaloosae, is a small, plain-looking frog confined to acidic seepage stream habitat within a limited area of Okaloosa and Walton Counties in the Florida Panhandle. Its extraordinarily narrow range, among the smallest of any United States frog species, and dependence on a specific wetland type make it one of the more precariously positioned amphibians in the southeastern United States.
An entire species fitting inside two counties
While many frog species range across multiple states, the Florida bog frog’s entire known existence fits within a small corner of the Florida Panhandle, a narrowness that leaves the species with essentially no room for error if its specific streams are disturbed.
Status
Vulnerable — confined to a small number of acidic seepage streams within a limited area of the Florida Panhandle.
Florida Bog Frog: common questions
How restricted is the Florida bog frog's range?
The Florida bog frog has one of the most restricted geographic ranges of any frog species found in the United States, known from only a small number of acidic seepage streams confined to a limited area within Okaloosa and Walton Counties in the Florida Panhandle.
What does the Florida bog frog sound like?
A Florida bog frog produces a distinctive low-pitched, clucking call, quite different from the more musical calls of several related frog species, making its voice a more reliable identification tool than its relatively plain greenish-brown appearance.
Why does the Florida bog frog need such specific wetland habitat?
A Florida bog frog depends closely on acidic, tannin-stained, low-nutrient seepage stream habitat, a particular wetland type found only in a limited number of locations, meaning any change to water quality or hydrology within these specific streams could seriously threaten the species' already narrow range.
Where does the Florida bog frog live?
The Florida bog frog is native to acidic seepage stream habitat within a limited area of Okaloosa and Walton Counties in the Florida Panhandle, making it endemic to this small region.