March Biodiversity Duo of the Month: Green frogs & striped skunks

The Biodiversity of SUNY New Paltz project’s March 2025 Duo of the Month are green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis). 

Green frogs are medium-sized green or bronze amphibians with circular organs called tympana on either side of their head, which function like ears. They can be identified by the prominent ridges (known as dorsolateral folds) on either side of their back, and by the spots on their back legs that look like stripes when folded.  

Green frog calls are said to sound like a “plucked banjo string”. Their green skin blends in excellently with plants, so they often bask in places with abundant vegetation, such as on the edges of the Gunk and the south retention pond. Frogs hibernate during the winter and begin to emerge in March and April. You may see a green frog or two on campus hanging out on the water’s edge – if you approach slowly and quietly. 

Striped skunks, meanwhile, are small, furry mammals with white stripes that extend from the top of their heads down their backs and onto their fluffy tails. They also hibernate in underground dens in places like the South Forest for much of the winter, emerging in late February or March to breed.  

Skunks are generally nocturnal and defend themselves from would-be predators using their notorious scent glands. They are opportunistic omnivores – they will eat foods of many different kinds, depending on what is available, which is why they are often seen near garbage cans and other sources of human waste.  

Green frogs are abundant when emerging from hibernation in early spring, so they can be a good source of food for opportunistic skunks that live near ponds. Skunks generally avoid humans but they can sometimes be seen at night along the pond or forest edges, or occasionally in a parking lot or near a dumpster. 

To learn more about the incredible biodiversity on campus, watch out for April’s Duo of the Month, visit our Biodiversity of SUNY New Paltz catalogue on iNaturalist.org, and stay tuned for a future campus biodiversity walking tour!