Pelophylax kurtmuelleri Balkan Frog
Olympia, West Greece, GreeceMay 31, 2013
Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri)
This frog was nestled in the long grass next to a small stream just outside of Ancient Olympia. In the ten minutes of herping time I had before I was due back on the tour bus, I saw five or six others splash into the water. This is the only one I saw before it jumped. Pelophylax epeiroticus, a very similar-looking species, also lives in the general area, but according to krismunk on fieldherpforum.com, this one is likely to be P. kurtmuelleri based on the specific location. Thanks krismunk!
Krka National Park, Sibenik, Dalmatia, CroatiaJune 4, 2013
Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri) Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri) Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri) Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri) Balkan Frog (Pelophylax kurtmuelleri)
A shore excursion from our Mediterranean cruise took us to the beautiful Krka National Park, whose main attraction is a complex series of waterfalls that you can explore via paths and boardwalks. I spotted seven or eight of these frogs in calm, shallow-water pools near the boardwalk. This is the largest native frog in Europe, though the introduced American Bullfrog is larger. I didn't see any great big ones though.

The paths and boardwalks through the waterfall area were very busy, and each time I stopped to photograph a frog I would gather a little crowd of fellow tourists. It took them awhile to figure out what I was photographing, but once they did so they lined up for their turn.

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