May 25, 2026

This post started with the discovery of the misidentification of a frog call in my yard, by AI. The sound that AI attempted to identify was perhaps that of a Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) together with the sound of a neighbor’s very distant gunshots. The frog which I believe made the call, a sweet Pickerel Frog (Lithobates palustris), has a rather strange call. I’ve seen it described as a snoring sound. My description would be the growl of a mammal, like a dog or a large wild cat. Not a friendly sound. So much for AI.

I have referred to the Pickerel Frog as “sweet”. That is my feeling about any frog around here. Precious, dear, sweet. But I must warn you, this small North American frog, found throughout my state of Virginia, is the only poisonous frog in the United States. Toxins are secreted from its skin which can cause moderate eye or skin irritation for humans.

But I’m still calling it a sweet frog.

_______________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!