Rain and Frog

Tonight, I drove to work in a pounding, torrential rain. The local traffic and weather reports largely consisted of dire flash flood warnings and tales of brave Ulysses roads closed due to high water. When I got to work, I found this handsome critter outside the building which houses my office:

That, my dear friends, is a fine specimen of the American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana). This particular beast is about size of my not inconsequential fist. The American bullfrog eats just about anything it can cram into its sizable mouth, including other bullfrogs. A less focused but brighter photo shows its coloration to good effect, and reveals the creature's pretty eyes:

We have a pond on the premises which is basically a singles bar for bullfrogs, their amorous calls have been a constant soundtrack for the last couple of weeks on the job. Tonight, with the rain that we've been having, the whole property is kinda like a pond, which explains why this critter has been sitting outside the main entrance to the building. I sure am glad I'm not smurf-sized.