Pelophylax kurtmuelleri
—
Balkan Frog
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!
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.
Printed references:
- Arnold, E. N. and Ovenden, D. W. 2002. Reptiles and Amphibians of Europe