One that walks or haunts the stones, calling loudly

As I walk along the bank of the creek I keep hearing loud plops. Each time, I’m startled and can see nothing but ripples in the murk.

They must be frogs, I think. I continue but slowly this time. Finally, I see what’s been causing all this splashing:

This Green Frog, Lithobates clamitans, is so beautiful:

The scientific name Lithobates is from the Greek. Litho means ‘stone’ and bates means ‘One that walks or haunts’. Clamitans is from the Latin and means ‘loud calling’.

So that’s what all the barking I’ve been hearing is: it’s the croaking of these Green Frogs.

There are just 8,700 species of amphibians in the world yet there are nearly as many species of amphibians threatened with global extinction as birds and mammals combined. 40% of amphibian species are in danger of extinction. Humans have drained their habitat, poisoned and polluted their water, cut down their forests and are changing the climate dangerously.

Just take a look into its eyes and you know it’s vital to do everything we can to save our remaining amphibian-rich habitats: