Baby Frog

In this photo it's hard to tell this guy's or gal"s size. It is a juvenile red-legged frog of about 3 cm in length. We are excited to see two offspring of "our" frog that has been hanging around our pond for the last five years. We are not sure where the other parent is hiding. Evidently, juvenile red-legged frogs result from mating in February / March, hatching after 5 weeks, with metamorphosis completed after 3 to 4 months. This indicates that these young frogs might have hatched in 2010, completing their metamorphosis some time in the last summer or fall, unless the eggs were laid very early in 2011 and the metamorphosis from tadpole to frog was accelerated. How could we have missed their presence all this time? I may have to spend more time in the hammock by the pond to become more aware of the creatures in and around it. According to this article, frogs eat insects and slugs, making themselves useful in pest management. We are very happy to be home to these red-legged frogs.