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Home , Anaxyrus fowleri, Mesobatrachia, Microhylidae, Mountain Chorus Frog, Neobatrachia, Southern cricket frog

Identification of Anurans

Hyla versicolor

Matthew J. Gray College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Suborder Suborder Anuran Families Anura Bufonidae Scaphiopodidae

2 1

1

True American Spadefoots Narrow-mouthed Toads Ranidae

10 7

Tree True Frogs

Morphological Characteristics

Ranidae, Hylidae

Bufonidae

Glanular glands

1 Family American Bufonidae ( americanus) : 1-2 strings (4,000-12,000 eggs) >10 m length Breeding Call • Long, musical trill (constant)

Breeding Season • Early (March) Characteristics: SVL = 3” • Parotoid glands rarely touch cranial crest • 1-2 glanular glands “warts” per dark spot

Family Bufonidae (Anaxyrus americanus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Eastern • Statewide

Family Fowler’s toad Bufonidae () Eggs: 1-2 strings (5,000-10,000 eggs) <3 m length Breeding Call

• Nasal "w-a-a-h" • Sheep bleating or baby crying Breeding Season

• Mid (May) Characteristics: SVL = 2.5” • Parotoid glands touch cranial crest • >3 glanular glands “warts” per dark spot

2 Family Fowler’s toad Bufonidae (Anaxyrus fowleri) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Eastern United States • Statewide

Family Eastern spadefoot Scaphiopodidae ( holbrookii)

Metatarsal tubercle Breeding Call • Nasal grunts: “wahh, wahh, wahh” • Young crow Breeding Season T-storms SVL = 2” • Late (June,July) Characteristics: (heavy rain) • Vertical Pupil • Glanular glands but no parotoid glands

Family Eastern spadefoot Xeric Adapted Scaphiopodidae (Scaphiopus holbrookii) Genera Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Southeastern United States • Statewide (rare, Smokies)

3 Family Eastern Microhylidae narrow-mouthed toad ( carolinensis)

Breeding Call • High pitch buzz “bzzzzzz” • wings T-storms Breeding Season SVL = 1” • Late (June, July) Characteristics: (heavy rain) • Pointed snout, short limbs, plump body • Folded skin between eyes

Family Eastern Microhylidae narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Southeastern United States • Statewide (rare Smokies)

Family Eastern Acris = locust crepitans = clattering Hylidae (Acris crepitans)

Breeding Call • Metallic clicking Breeding Season (2 metal balls) • Tempo changes: • Mid (May) (slow-fast-slow)

SVL = <1” Characteristics: • Dark triangle between eyes; often bright “Y” racing stripe • >1/2 of longest toe on rear feet webbed

4 Family Northern Hylidae (Acris crepitans) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Midwest and Eastern U.S. • Statewide

Family Southern Acris = locust gryllus = cricket Hylidae cricket frog (Acris gryllus)

Breeding Call • Metallic clicking Breeding Season (2 metal balls) • Raspier, shorter • Late (June, July) • Tempo constant

SVL = <1” Characteristics: • Dark triangle between eyes; often bright “Y” racing stripe (more distinct line than A. crepitans) • <1/2 of longest toe on rear feet webbed

Family Southern Hylidae cricket frog (Acris gryllus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Deep Southern U.S. • Southwest TN

5 Family -voiced Hylidae treefrog (Hyla avivoca)

Breeding Call • Bird-like Chirping Breeding Season • Whistling for dog • Mid (May, June)

SVL = 1.5”

Characteristics: Coloration can be highly variable! • Light green or gray with light-colored patch under eye • No flash colors like gray treefrogs

Family Bird-voiced Hylidae treefrog (Hyla avivoca) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Primarily MAV • Western TN

Family Green treefrog Hylidae (Hyla cinerea)

Breeding Call • Short nasal repeating Breeding Season "quonk" • Bicycle horn • Late (June, July)

Characteristics: SVL = 2” • Always green, smooth back and belly • White-yellow stripe extending from upper lip mid-laterally

6 Family Green treefrog Hylidae (Hyla cinerea)

Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Southeastern United States • Western TN but expanding into East TN!

Family Cope’s Gray Hylidae treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) Breeding Call

• Short raspy trill (constant) • ½ chromosomes of H. versicolor • Faster than H. versicolor 34-69 pulses/sec Breeding Season

• Mid (May, June)

” Characteristics: SVL = 2 • Gray to greenish with mottled back • Yellow-orange flash colors under legs

Family Cope’s Gray Hylidae treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/

• Eastern United States • Statewide

7 Family Barking Hylidae treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)

Breeding Call

• Steady raspy honk Breeding Season • Sounds similar to a beagle • Late (June, July) bark or Canada goose • Higher pitch than green frog Largest of the treefrogs in Tennessee Characteristics: SVL = 2-3” • Solid green (granulated) or green with dark spots • White upper lip does not extend mid-laterally

Family Barking Hylidae treefrog (Hyla gratiosa) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Deep Southern U.S. • West TN & Cumberland Plateau

Family Spring Peeper Hylidae (Pseudacris crucifer)

Breeding Call

• Clear Distinct Peep Breeding Season

• Early (Feb, March) “Cross bearer”

SVL = 1” Characteristics:

• Light-brown, smooth skin with dark line between eyes • Dark cross on back

8 Family Spring Peeper Hylidae (Pseudacris crucifer)

Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Eastern United States • Statewide

Family Mountain Hylidae (Pseudacris brachyphona)

Breeding Call

• Short, raspy call that Breeding Season rises in pitch • Running finger • Early (April) over comb but duller than P. feriarum 1/3 size of a SVL = 1” Characteristics: wood frog

• Light-brown, smooth skin with dark line through eye • Backward parentheses on back (sometimes)

Family Hylidae (Pseudacris brachyphona)

Distribution: >1000 m elevation

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Southern Appalachia • Mostly Cumberland Mountains and Plateau

9 Upland (southeastern) Family Chorus Frog Hylidae (Pseudacris feriarum)

Breeding Call Earliest breeding frog • Running finger over comb but more metallic than P. brachyphona SVL = 1” Note: call rises (gray treefrogs do not) Breeding Season Characteristics: • Early (January)

• Light to dark brown with dark triangle between eyes • Three dark dorsal lines (usually)

Family Upland Chorus Frog Hylidae (Pseudacris feriarum)

Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Southeastern United States • Statewide

Family Crawfish Frog Ranidae (Lithobates areolatus)

Breeding Call

• Deep "Waaaaa" Breeding Season • Sounds like • Early (March) someone snoring

SVL = 2.5” Characteristics:

• Dark spots encircled in white, white throat • Dorsal lateral folds very apparent

10 Family Crawfish Frog Ranidae (Lithobates areolatus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Alluvial Valley • West Tennessee

Family Ranidae (Lithobates catesbeianus)

Largest frog in Breeding Call Tennessee

• loud deep "jug-o-rum" • Often play dead when handled SVL = 5” Breeding Season Characteristics: • Late (June, July)

• Green or brown with dorsal lateral folds around tympanum • Males: Tympanum larger than eye

Family American bullfrog Ranidae (Lithobates catesbeianus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Eastern U.S. (introduced western states) • Statewide

11 Family Green frog Ranidae (Lithobates clamitans)

Breeding Call

• Short, explosive Breeding Season "glunk" • Late (June, July) • Banjo string being plucked SVL = 3” • Lower pitch than barking treefrog Characteristics: • Green or brown with dorsal lateral folds extending past tympanum, center of tympanum raised • Males: Tympanum larger than eye

Family Green frog Ranidae (Lithobates clamitans) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Eastern United States • Statewide

Family Pickerel frog Ranidae (Lithobates palustris)

Breeding Call • Sounds like opening a • Drawn-out, creaky door descending snore, "yeeeeeoooow" • Not as deep as L. ” areolatus SVL = 2.5 Breeding Season Characteristics: • Early (April)

• Tan with dark paired dorsal spots (square) • No white spot on tympanum

12 Family Pickerel frog Ranidae (Lithobates palustris) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Eastern United States (excluding Gulf Coast) • Statewide (less common in west TN)

Family Southern leopard frog Ranidae (Lithobates sphenocephalus)

Breeding Call • Series of clucks or chuckles • Also, groans similar to rubbing hand over ” a balloon SVL = 2.5 Breeding Season Characteristics: • Early (Feb, March)

• Tan with dark dorsal spots in irregular pattern • White spot on tympanum

Family Southern leopard frog Ranidae (Lithobates sphenocephalus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Southeastern U.S. • Statewide (not common in Smokies)

13 Family Wood frog Ranidae (Lithobates sylvaticus)

Bi-colored Embryos Black (above), white (below) Breeding Call Forested • Series of clucks or wetlands chuckles (mallard) often before • Interspersed with ice is gone low grunts SVL = 2” Breeding Season Characteristics: • Early (February)

• Tan dark mask below and behind eye • White upper lip

Family Wood frog Ranidae (Lithobates sylvaticus) Distribution:

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Northeastern U.S. • Middle & East TN

Commonly Confused Past WFS 433/533 Students “Snores” “High, Fast Trills” • Pickerel frog • Eastern narrow-mouthed toad • Crawfish frog • American toad “Loud Clunks” “Low, Slow Trills” • Barking • Upland chorus frog • Green frog • Mountain chorus frog “Chuckles” • Cope’s gray tree frog • Southern leopard frog “Guttural Waah” • wood frog • Eastern spadefoot “Metallic Clicks” • Fowler’s toad • Eastern and southern cricket frog

14 Seasonal Phenology Tennessee Anurans

January: upland chorus frog February: wood frog, spring peeper, gopher frog March: American toad, southern leopard frog, crawfish frog

April: pickerel frog, mountain chorus frog

May: Fowler’s toad, , gray treefrogs, bird-voiced treefrog

June/July: green frog, American bullfrog, southern cricket frog, eastern narrow-mouthed toad, eastern spadefoot, barking treefrog, green treefrog

August-Dec: possible to hear most species especially after rains and on warm days in fall and winter, although breeding for temperate anurans is concentrated January-July.

CALL SURVEYS HTTP://WWW.MTSU.EDU/MTSUCEE/TAMP.PHP

Begin: > 30 minutes after sunset End: 1:00 am (allow 5 min settling time)

Duration: 5 minutes

Abundance (by species): 0 = none heard 1 = individuals can be counted 2 = calls overlap but individuals can be distinguished 3 = calls overlap and individuals cannot be distinguished (full chorus)

Citations and Helpful Websites Identification Texts • Niemiller, M., and R. G. Reynolds. 2011. The of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN. • Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2004. The amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN, USA. • Dorcas, M., and W. Gibbons. 2008. Frogs and toads of the Southeast. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA, USA.

Pictures and Calls • LEAPS-Environmental Consulting http://www.leaps.ms/ • Dr. Matt Niemiller (Frogs and Toads of TN) http://www.herpetology.us/tnherps/ • Frog and Toads of Georgia

http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/GAFrog.Toad.html

15 HERPETOFAUNAL ATLASES OF TN

¡ Amphibians: http://apbrwww5.apsu.edu/amatlas/ ¡ Reptiles: http://apbrwww5.apsu.edu/reptatlas/

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