Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

See Fantastic Frogs in 15 Fun Photographs

Hop through these images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

Photographs selected by Allison Scates

Red black frog
Blue jeans poison dart frogs cannot be handled since their skin—not made of denim—is extremely toxic.

  Beverly Houwing, Costa Rica, 2020

There’s a good chance that you’ll hear them before you see them. Frogs’ croaks and ribbits often echo through the night when the nocturnal species of these amphibians are most active. Not always easy to spot, many frogs are small enough to fit in your pocket, and frogs can be elusive, blending in with the flora of their surroundings, hopping through treetops or along riverbanks.

While some frogs call the great outdoors on six continents (excluding Antarctica) home, others are domesticated, kept as pets. However, you don’t have to venture through forests or bring a frog into your home to see them. Get your close-up look right here.

Red black frog on leaf
Frogs have been known to inhabit homeowners’ backyards—sometimes even clinging to doors, seemingly hoping to be invited in. Gabriella Hanstein, Georgia, 2010
Frog in a person's hands
Many frogs are small enough to fit in the palm of your hands, and some of the tiniest can fit on a U.S. dime.

  Samantha Sigelakis-Minski, New York, 2011
A bug on a frog's eye
None None
A Green frog on a Flower
Orange. Blue. Red. Green. The bright colors of a red-eyed tree frog are strikingly vivid as it clings to a flower in bloom.

  Leesa Beckmann, New Jersey, 2020

Frog on red leaf
Red-eyed tree frogs are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico throughout Central America and in northern South America. They use their sticky tongues to hunt crickets, moths and flies. John Mariana, Costa Rica, 2018
A frog peeking out of the water
A somewhat camouflaged, submerged frog peeks its head out of the waters of a pond in Philadelphia.

  Carrie Biegler, Pennsylvania, 2017
Frog peaking through a hole in leaf
Seemingly camera-shy, a frog hops into a hole in a leaf, leaving its head exposed, before being photographed. Salvador Colvée Nebot, Costa Rica, 2015

tadpoles
Soon to take their first breaths, tiny baby frogs are visible in small, transparent, bubble-like eggs.

  Caesar Sengupta, India, 2024
Frog in jar with a young girl standing in background
Some veterinarians suggest pet owners use glass jars to transport frogs. Katrina Schoonover, Illinois, 2010
A Red Eyed frog sits on a large leaf
Some might refer to them as elusive. Red-eyed tree frogs are mostly nocturnal and often found in tree canopies. 

  Clinton Harris, Costa Rica, 2021
A small bug sits on a dark brown frogs nose
An insect lands on the nose of a small, brown frog that recently morphed from a tadpole. 

  Iván Ruiz Barranco, Spain, 2017

A green frog peeking out of the green water
Duckweed helps this frog remain hidden as it hunts for prey. Owen Chase, Washington, 2017
A frog sits on the edge of a lake
The skin of male Moor frogs turns blue for just a few weeks each year, during mating season. 

  Jan Rzaczek, Germany, 2021
A frog sleeping on a branch
Do frogs dream? This one seems to be enjoying a nap, and possibly a sweet dream, on a small branch. Michael Oberman, Virginia, 2023

Tracy Scott Forson is a senior editor at Smithsonian magazine.

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