We've been really busy lately, so I get in my nature observations where I can. We attended a meeting of Joseph's submarine vets, and I still had room on the page, so fitted in this tiny frog I found on the limestone rocks by the creek. MUCH larger than life, in my drawing.
At first I thought he was a spring peeper (Hyla crucifer) but since he was SO warty I thought perhaps a tree toad. Looked too shiny, though...and had those striped legs. Later, I compared my sketch and photos to those I found on the 'net, and discovered he's a Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi), common in Missouri but almost endangered in some other places...
They may be only 5/8" long, but can be bigger...up to 1 1/2"--and can even have orange or red markings. This one had bright spring green.
The Internet's amazing, isn't it? I looked in a couple of my field guides and wouldn't have identified him from the pictures there--cricket can be so varied in color, and I was looking for that screaming green.
He's ink and watercolor pencil, with just a touch of gouache on those shiny little warts.
Lovely froggy Kate! Learning through sketching and the internet - great!
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