Short Description
The common water frog is bright- to dark-green and sometimes brown. The back is marked with darker patches with a light-green line along the centre of the back. It is very difficult to differentiate from its parent species, the marsh frog and the pool frog .
The males’ vocal sacs are greyish-white to whitish-grey.
Features
Common water frog
Pelophylax esculentus
greyish vocal sacs
Chorrufe
T. Trilar (PMSL), CC BY-SA 3.0
In the city
Common water frogs can be seen at stils waters, including artificial ones such as ponds in gardens or municipal parks and even swimming pools or concrete basins. They prefer sunny sites.
Fun Facts
The common water frog is a hybrid, i.e. a cross between the parent species (pool frog and marsh frog). It exhibits characteristics and behavioural patterns (habitat, hibernation) of both species.
Most hybrids (crossbreeds between two species) are infertile. The common water frog, though, is fertile and can continue to cross-breed which often makes it difficult to identify the species.
It often hibernates in burrows on land.
With its well-developed webbing, it is a good swimmer.
All European amphibians are specially protected and must not be captured, injured or killed.
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
- Usage:
Especially in France, its legs are considered a delicacy. This is also where its English trivial name "Edible Frog" comes from.
Sources
Habitus, Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grenouille_verte_(Pelophylax_kl._esculentus).jpg
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Kaulquappe, Piet Spaans, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Larva_of_Edible_frog.jpg
Habitus, Grand-Duc, Niabot (edit), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rana_esculenta_on_Nymphaea_edit.JPG
Page „Teichfrosch“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 21.03.2016, 16:16 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Teichfrosch&oldid=152723923 (Accessed: 10.05.2016).
Kwet, A. (2015) Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. 250 Arten mit Verbreitungskarten, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Blab, J. & Vogel, H. (2002) Amphibien und Reptilien erkennen und schützen, München: BLV.
Glandt, D. (2008) Heimische Amphibien: Bestimmen – Beobachten – Schützen, Wiebelsheim: AULA-Verlag.
Glandt, D. (2015) Die Amphibien und Reptilien Europas, Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.
Bundesfachausschuss Feldherpetologie/Ichthyofaunistik im NABU (n.d.) Rote Listen, URL: http://www.amphibienschutz.de/schutz/artenschutz/roteliste/deutschland.htm (Accessed: 26.07.2016).
NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) Erfolgreicher Bastard. Der Teichfrosch (Rana esculenta), URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/amphibien-und-reptilien/amphibien/artenportraets/10688.html (Accessed: 10.08.2016).