Common Parsley Frog

About the Common Parsley Frog

The common parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) is a species of frog in the genus Pelodytes. It lives southwestern Europe, including France. Its earliest identification is believed to be from 1802. The common parsley frog (Pelodytes punctatus) is a very small and slender frog with long hind legs, a flat head, and vertical pupils. Males tend to only reach 3.5 cm (1.4 in), whereas females are typically larger at 3.9 cm (1.5 in). The upper part of the body is variable in colour, usually with irregular green patches on a light brown, grey, or light olive background. The frog's back is dotted with elongated warts, often in undulating longitudinal rows that may be orange along the flanks. Behind the protruding eyes and above the tympanum there is a short small gland. It does not have parotid glands. The underside of the frog is white and yellow-orange around the pelvis.

They are fossorial, meaning they can live underground with limbs suited for burying and digging. In the mating season, males develop dark swellings on the insides of their digits and forelimbs, as well as on the chest. The males' forelimbs are usually stronger than the females. They are not completely cryptic... Wikipedia →