Amphibians
Southern Cricket Frog
Acris gryllus · also called southern cricket frogs
Along the muddy edge of a southeastern pond, a southern cricket frog clicks out a rapid call that sounds remarkably like two pebbles knocking together, before escaping an approaching predator with a startling series of long, powerful jumps across the water’s surface.
Overview
The southern cricket frog, Acris gryllus, is a small, warty-skinned amphibian native to wetland habitat, including pond and ditch margins, across a broad range of the southeastern United States. Its distinctive pebble-like clicking call, exceptional jumping ability, and close relationship with the northern cricket frog make it a fitting namesake for the wider cricket frog group despite having no actual relation to crickets.
A frog named for a sound, not a relative
The southern cricket frog earns its name purely through vocal coincidence, its clicking call resembling a cricket’s chirp closely enough to shape the common name of an entire group of frogs that share no biological connection to the insect at all.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable wetland habitat throughout the southeastern United States.
Southern Cricket Frog: common questions
Why is it called the cricket frog if it is not related to crickets?
This species produces a rapid, clicking call closely resembling the sound of two small pebbles being struck together, a call pattern reminiscent of cricket chirping even though this species is a true frog with no biological relationship to crickets, and that vocal resemblance is what gave the broader cricket frog group its common name.
How is the southern cricket frog different from the northern cricket frog?
This species tends to have proportionally longer hind legs than the closely related northern cricket frog, an anatomical difference contributing to particularly strong jumping ability, and the two species also differ somewhat in range and specific habitat preference, though they can be difficult to reliably distinguish by appearance alone in areas where their ranges overlap.
How far can a southern cricket frog jump?
This species is capable of remarkably long jumps relative to its small body size, often escaping a predator with a rapid series of leaps across the water's surface and nearby vegetation, a jumping ability considered exceptional even among frogs generally known for strong leaping.
Where does the southern cricket frog live?
This species is native to wetland habitat, including pond and ditch margins, across a broad range of the southeastern United States, staying close to the edges of still or slow-moving water throughout its active season rather than venturing far inland.