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Got a question for Ask MDC? Send it to AskMDC@mdc.mo.gov or call 573-522-4115, ext. 3848.

Q: This rufous hummingbird has taken over one of my feeders, guarding it constantly. It is quite aggressive. Can you tell me more about this species?

Rufous hummingbirds are known as one of the feistiest hummingbirds, according to Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website. They even take on the larger hummingbirds of the Southwest, which can be double their weight. These little birds are long distance migrants, making their way from Alaska and Canada to wintering grounds in the southeastern United States and Mexico. In Missouri, rufous hummingbirds are rare autumn transients and winter residents, usually observed at feeders. 

The male has rufous — or reddish — upperparts except for the greenish head and black tips on the tail feathers. Their throats flash orange-red in the sunlight but will otherwise appear black. The female and immature rufous hummingbirds are metallic green above and their throats are spotted with brownish and orange-red flecks.

These birds feed primarily on colorful, tubular flowers and get protein and fat from eating insects taken from the air and aphids gleaned from plants.

Q: These frogs keep getting into our house and are all over our yard. There isn’t a water source close by; the nearest is perhaps a quarter mile away. What are they?

This is a North American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), which recently metamorphized from tadpole to froglet. Tadpole development takes about 11–14 months. In Missouri, they usually transform into froglets from June through August. Adult size may not be reached for another two to three years, and this frog’s lifespan may be slightly more than seven years.

The North American bullfrog is Missouri’s largest frog and can reach 8 inches from snout to vent. Bullfrogs lack a dorsolateral fold, a ridge of skin along each side of the back. In other members of the Lithobates genus — like the North American green frog — the dorsolateral fold is distinct.

They are Missouri’s most aquatic species of frog. They spend most of their time in or near lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, drainage ditches, sloughs, and permanent swamps and marshes. They’ll burrow into the mud at the bottom of ponds and rivers to avoid winter temperatures. Both young and adult bullfrogs will move overland during heavy summer rains and can be seen crossing roads. Adults have been found to move infrequently between wetlands, but overland movements up to almost a mile can occur. Recently transformed bullfrogs have been known to make considerable movements.

Q: Can you tell me what this spider’s name is? I haven’t seen a spider like this before.

This is a green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans). These spiders are usually found on the tops of plants and cacti in fields, prairies, xeric (dry) scrub, yards, and gardens. They mostly occur across the southeastern United States to California and are rarely reported in Missouri, according to Iowa State University’s BugGuide website.

The females are large with leg spans of 70 millimeters and form egg sacs in autumn. One of their means of defense is to squirt venom from their chelicerae.

This family of lynx spiders are so-called because some chase their prey with great rapidity over foliage; they even jump from branch to branch. But some also lie in wait near flowers and spring upon visiting insects. They don’t form webs.