14 Suolijärvi nature trail information board

Finnish frogs

The brown frog is the most common species of frog in Finland. The common frog species also includes the toad and the strictly protected tree frog. Suolijärvi is host to the brown frog.
Frogs are predators that move around at dusk, feeding on a variety of invertebrates such as insects, worms, spiders and snails. The frog spends its days in a damp hiding place. Frogs are thermotolerant and in September they head to the bottom of water bodies to hibernate.

How would you describe the appearance of frogs?

What kind of frogs have you encountered?

Did you know?

 All reptiles and amphibians are protected species in Finland, which means that they must not be disturbed or caught!

Frog burrowing and metamorphosis in the marshland

The brown frog’s bundle of frogspawn floating in the water is a familiar sign of spring for many. The frogs spend the first three weeks of their lives as eggs, after which they hatch into tadpoles. The life of the tadpoles is a summer-long metamorphosis, during which the gill-breathing larval form develops into a small frog that breathes through its lungs and partly through its skin.

Frogs in culture

The scientific name for amphibians, Amhibia, means "double life". 
Throughout history, frogs have been associated with a wide range of meanings, perhaps due to their close association with water, the prerequisite for life.

Meanings associated with frogs include happiness, success, healing and emotions, new beginnings, and wisdom and change. 

In the picture:

The frog has a sharper snout than the brown frog and a pale belly. It is also smaller than the brown frog. During the spawning season, the vocalizations of the tree frog are pulsating.