Description: Acris gryllus gryllus has a small body about 0.6 to 1.25 inches long, a tapered snout, and anal warts. The head is pointed and has a dark triangle between the eyes. A light bar extends from the eye to the forelimb. The thigh is marked by a clean, dark stripe surrounded by distinct light stripes. The other subspecies Acris gryllus dorsalis is similar in size and appearance to A. g. gryllus, except that it has no anal warts and the rear of its thigh is marked by two dark lines.

Males have a grayish chest and throat with a round vocal sac. These body areas are usually more spotted in males than females.

Habitat: Although A. gryllus is a member of the tree frog family, it lives mostly on the ground or in freshwater areas with sunlight. Examples of prime habitat include shallow ponds with vegetation, meadows, creeks, marshes and coastal plain bogs. The southern cricket frog can also be found in roadside pools and ditches. In these areas, they can become quite abundant. Its main choices of habitation changes, however, when the southern cricket frog's range overlaps with that of Acris crepitans. When this occurs, A. gryllus will typically move to areas which have been drained of water. The population of A. gryllus becomes less active and enters a period of dormancy near the middle of December, and reanimates in mid-February.

Range: A. g. dorsalis ranges from southwestern Georgia to Alabama and the southern tip of Florida. It is a terrestrial and lowland dwelling species, found in ponds, bogs, and river-bottoms. Occasionally found in upland regions such as northern river valleys. They favor grassy regions because vegetation offers protection. Acris gryllus is not an able climber and therefore usually escapes danger by hopping around, leaping onto floating vegetation, or diving quickly to the bottom of a pond. It is a hardy frog and abundant wherever it is found .

Found in these States: FL | GA

Diet: A. gryllus is an insectivore, feeding on a wide variety of insects with a major part of their diet being mosquitoes. When in the tadpole stage, however, this species is a herbivore. As adults, to catch their prey, they sit and wait in ambush for insects. When a prey item comes near, they lunge forward and shoot out their tongue. The southern cricket frog has also been observed chasing after their prey on the ground.

Reproduction: The process of mating starts with the male emitting a call to attract females. This also functions to let the other males of A. gryllus know to stay out of his territory. The female then chooses her mate who begins what is known as amplexing. This is a method of holding the female around her waist with his forelegs, which then stimulates hormones within the female. Because of this stimulation, the eggs are then released into the water and the male releases his sperm and thus fertilizes the eggs.

Although the male will call all year long, breeding is usually done in the months of February through October. Once the eggs are fertilized the female will lay the eggs either singly or in groups of 7-10. She will lay clumps of up to 150 eggs at one time and attach them to either to the vegetation beneath the water or along the bottom of shallow pond. Depending on the environmental factors, the eggs can hatch in four days. Then, within the 90-100 days it takes to complete metamorphosis, the tail disappears, the legs form, the mouth enlarges, and the lungs replace the gills.

Status: At present time, A. gryllus is not threatened.

Taxonomy: