The Iberian Water Frog (Pelophylax perezi), also known as ‘Perez’s Frog’, can be found in most fresh water habitats across Portugal and Spain. I came across this guy in a roadside ditch and found him because of his loud, almost bird like call. When they vocalize, which is primarily to attract a mate, they fill a small bubble that blows out from the round holes on each side of their cheeks with air and then let it go in the form of an attractive, albeit croaky, tune and when several of them get going it can be quite a chorus. One thing I’d not heard of frogs doing before – did you know they shed their skin like snakes? This is to help prevent the skin from drying out and getting too thick or hard to breathe through when in the water. But, unlike snakes, frogs then eat the skin as it contains invaluable nutrients important for their metabolism and new skin.
