Well, actually, it takes more than a bit of rain to get the gopher frogs, Rana capito, up and moving. Truth be told, a bit of rain may get them near the mouths of the burrows in which they are usually secluded, but it takes a whole durn-lot of rain to get them out of and beyond their entryways.



The gopher frog may be the most seldom seen of the “common” southeastern frogs. A species of sandhill ponds, it spends a goodly percentage of the daylight hours an arm’s length or further back in the burrow of the gopher tortoise. When in the ponds the snoring calls of the gopher frog are unmistakable.

Like most frogs, the gopher frog is capable of considerable color change. Often having a ground color of light tan to light brown with irregular dark spots and bars when warm, they darken considerably when cold. When cold they may be nearly black. Then the darker markings are all but indiscernable.