I came across an unusual sight while walking at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. A large group of juvenile bullfrogs had gathered in a small pool of water.
The pool was several feet from the road. The photograph shows only part of the group.
Juvenile Bullfrogs Gather in a Pool of Water
The number of frogs caught my attention first. Finding one young bullfrog would not have been unusual, but there were frogs everywhere in this pool.
Many of them sat close together in the shallow water. Others were partly hidden around the edges.
Their small size showed that they were still young. Their green and brown coloring helped them blend into the water and surrounding vegetation.
I had to stop and look closely before I realized how many were there. Once I spotted the first few, more frogs seemed to appear.
An Army of Young Frogs Near the Road
Calling them an army seemed fitting. The small pool held more juvenile bullfrogs than I could count from where I stood.
I was on foot, so I could take my time and watch where I stepped. The frogs were several feet from the road, but I still moved carefully around the area.
The photograph captured only a small section of the pool. Many more frogs were outside the frame.
I have also found adult bullfrogs in unusual places at the refuge. One example is this American Bullfrog on Gravel Road at Sequoyah Refuge.
Why This Bullfrog Gathering Stood Out
I see plenty of frogs at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. I do not often see this many young bullfrogs gathered in one small pool.
That is what made this encounter memorable. A simple walk near the road turned into one of the most unusual frog sightings I have had at the refuge.
It also reminded me to look closely at every small pool of water. You never know what may be gathered there.