Known as the FrogLady, Grayslake resident inspires love of reptiles

GRAYSLAKE – People rarely remember Deb Krohn’s name, but they remember the FrogLady.

Krohn wouldn’t have it any other way. For almost 14 years, Krohn has spent her weeks traveling throughout Lake County, the Chicago area and even into Indiana with her favorite companions – amphibians and reptiles.

“Frogs, for me, are by far the coolest animal,” said Krohn, who earned her bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife biology with a specialization in interpretation of natural resources (environmental education). She worked as an educator and naturalist at forest preserves for about six years before starting her own business at Thefroglady.com.

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Deb Krohn, naturalist, also known as the FrogLady, gets ready to feed a quail egg to her Tegu named, Cherry, at her home in Grayslake on July 2nd, 2023. Image by Candace H. Johnson for Shaw Local News Network (Candace H.Johnson)

One of Krohn’s first jobs involved leading a hike with children. They caught a bunch of frogs together.

Asked about their favorite part of the program, one of the kids responded, “the frog lady.”

“It just kind of stuck,” she said.

Krohn now brings her crew of about 15 to 18 animals – rotated among the almost 40 she takes care of in her Grayslake home – to libraries, park districts, schools, day cares, fairs, festivals, youth groups, scouts, birthday parties, adult programs and anywhere else people want to be entertained and learn about the animals.

Frogs are her favorite, but she also has salamanders, lizards, turtles and snakes, too, but nothing venomous.

“I help link nature to people and help them realize how incredible it is,” she said. “I think everybody is born with that love of nature and we get away from it or we were never really shown it. I help people get back to it or awaken to it.

“In a lot of ways, I almost feel like a nature missionary. I just kind of help people discover nature and how cool it is and open them up to it.”

Recently bringing her “fascinating world of reptiles and amphibians” to the Lake Forest Library, Krohn said she’s done “every single venue, except for a funeral.”

“I’ve done weddings, bar mitzvahs, family reunions, country clubs. … I see every economic group, every religion. I’ve done it all,” she said.

As much as she loves her animals and the smiles they bring, she said, it’s the people she’s met along the way that have stuck with her. So many memories. So many stories. And every day is different.

“I wish there were other people that could see what I see,” she said.

At every program, she aims to reach the person in the back, the parent or grandparent only in the room because of a child’s love of animals.

Those who don’t like snakes or reluctantly take part in her programs are the ones she targets.

“Nature and what I do is for every person out there,” she said. “Sometimes they think they don’t like my animals, but if you just have a little bit of an open mind, give me a few minutes of your time, you’ll change your mind.

“My ultimate goal is just when you see a reptile or an animal that you might think it’s cool and just realize it deserves a chance. Don’t kill it. Just give it a break.”

Like others in her field, Krohn doesn’t do what she does for the paycheck. It’s more like a calling. She’s just thankful it helps pay the bills.

“I’m so grateful, really. I’ve been so incredibly lucky every step of the way, meeting just the right people when I needed to,” she said.

That includes appearing on “Animal Planet” and WGN TV and meeting Oprah Winfrey.

As a member of the Chicago Herpetological Society in 2009, Winfrey invited her and another member of the group on her show to talk about their animals. They joined about 15 representatives from Chicago area animal rescue groups.

Krohn brought Henry, a red-footed tortoise who still joins her for programs today. Like most of Krohn’s animals, Henry came to her as a rescue. Other animals are given to her by families who no longer can take care of them or parents whose children have gone to college.

Henry was fed dog food by his previous owners and became deformed. Because turtles rarely eat protein in the wild, Henry’s shell couldn’t keep up with his body growth.

Unable to move his legs, he used to walk with a cart made out of Legos and wheels. Thanks to Krohn’s caretaking, he hasn’t needed the cart in years.

Along with Henry, another favorite of Krohn’s animals is a 74-year-old “incredibly outgoing” box turtle named Dirk, willed to her by a mentor.

Keeping track of all the animals can be tricky, but they all have their own homes at Krohn’s house.

“People wonder if I’m like Dr. Doolittle in my house,” she said. “If I’m not watching them, they’re in containers. … It’s such a crazy job, but I feel like it’s so normal for me and it’s so normal for my family.”

Some days are busier than others. Every day, someone needs to be fed. And there are days when hours upon hours of cleaning and caretaking of the animals is needed.

For Krohn, it’s worth it.

“I just always loved animals, every animal,” she said. “It could have been any group of animals I ended up going down this path with. I love them all.”