“Jeremiah was a bullfrog, was a good friend of mine, I never understood a single word he said.”

— Hoyt Axton, singer, songwriter (1938-1999)

In another life long ago after work I’d return to the house where I lived alone. After microwaving my dinner I’d sit at the counter on a bar stool looking through two large picture windows as the sun sank over the trees and darkness fell like a cloak. Outside the window zillions of flying insects swarmed, attracted by the kitchen lights. Soon after a bright green tree frog joined me through the window spreading his toes wide like suction cups. Now and then his tongue would dart like lightning and an insect would vanish. We both did this every night. Green frog and his insect; me and my microwaved dinner. In time I thought of him as a pet. Surely, he could see me through the window but thought nothing of me. Some nights I would place my finger on the glass atop his little body. This seemed not to disturb him at all. I imagined I was petting him. There came a time when I would see him no more, perhaps he moved and started a family. Frogs have always fascinated me.

Occasionally a frog will appear in the fishpond. Almost before you have a chance to spot them there’s a splash and they are gone underwater. By sitting quietly by the pond daily I’ve found the little pond frog may decide you are harmless and remain in sight. Once I had a frog that would do just that. I sat quietly and the frog remained on the lily pad; eventually I’d talk to the frog. I considered the pond frog a pet until the day I discovered him legless outside the pond. I was horrified and disgusted — no doubt the cat was the culprit.

My frog stories came to mind while at the lake feeding the duck. There was a large kerplunk from bank to lake, and I’m certain it was a bullfrog. The bullfrog is the largest and loudest of all North American frogs. It is said if the bullfrog was in the chorus, it would be the bass. They can grow to as much as 6 inches and live up to 9 years in the wild. A male will command a territory of about a 9-foot radius and fight off other males in a wrestling match. Bullfrogs introduced in non-native areas become invasive. The bullfrog is a voracious diner on anything it can fit in its mouth. A neighbor recently emptied her swimming pool only to find a dozen or so bullfrogs had moved in.

Lastly is the leopard frog. Sam discovered this little frog one night while walking the yard with a flashlight. The frog looks like the name implies. It has a rather pointed head and the back is spotted like a leopard. Leopard frogs are land lovers though they like to be near water. They enjoy being out day and night, particularly on rainy nights.

Believe it or not there is a market for pet frogs of all kinds on the internet. Prices range from the lowly green tree frog at $10 to exotics for $150.

Shannon Bardwell is a writer living quietly in the Prairie. Email reaches her at [email protected].