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Home , Bufo, Chorus frog, Crawfish frog, Gray treefrog, Hyla, Hylidae

Identification of Anurans

Hyla versicolor

Anuran Families Anura Bufonidae Scaphiopodidae

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True American Spadefoots Narrow-mouthed Toads Ranidae

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Tree True Frogs

Morphological Characteristics

Ranidae, Hylidae

Bufonidae

Glanular glands

1 Family American Bufonidae (Bufo 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 (Bufo americanus)

Distribution: EM

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

• Eastern • Statewide

Family Fowler’s toad Bufonidae (Bufo fowleri) 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 (Bufo fowleri) Distribution: EM

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 parotoids not prominent

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

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: EM-S

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

Specialize in eating !

Family Northern 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 Emergent with Hylidae direct sun (Acris crepitans) Distribution: EM

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 Highly dexterous Hylidae cricket frog (Acris gryllus) Distribution: EM/F

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

• Deep Southern U.S. • Southwest TN

5 Family Bird-voiced Highly arboreal: forested Hylidae treefrog wetlands and ( avivoca) streams

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: F

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 Good climbers, Nocturnal Hylidae (Hyla cinerea)

Distribution: F

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

• Southeastern United States • Western 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) Highly arboreal: forested wetlands Characteristics: SVL = 2” • Gray to greenish with mottled back • Yellow-orange flash colors under legs

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

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

• Eastern United States • Statewide

7 Family Hylidae (Hyla versicolor)

Breeding Call • Short raspy trill Breeding Season • Slower than H. chrysoscelis • Mid (May, June) 17-35 pulses/sec • 2X chromosomes of H. chrysoscelis Distribution • West Tennessee Characteristics: SVL = 2” of • Gray to greenish with mottled back Concern • Yellow-orange flash colors under legs (G5, S5)

Family Barking Hylidae treefrog (Hyla gratiosa)

Breeding Call

• Steady raspy honk Breeding Season • Sounds similar to a beagle • Late (June, July) bark or 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 Species of Hylidae treefrog Concern (G5, S3) (Hyla gratiosa) Distribution: F

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Deep Southern U.S. Males often • West TN & call from Cumberland Plateau water

8 Family Hylidae (Pseudacris crucifer)

Breeding Call

• Clear Distinct Peep Breeding Season

• Early (Feb, March) “Cross bearer” Prefers SVL = 1” Characteristics: woodland pools

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

Family Spring Peeper Hylidae (Pseudacris crucifer)

Distribution: F/EM-S

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:

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

9 Family Hylidae (Pseudacris brachyphona)

Forested wetlands >1000 m elevation Distribution: F/EM-S

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

Family Southeastern 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 Southeastern Chorus Frog Hylidae (Pseudacris feriarum)

Distribution: EM-S Prefer emergent wetlands

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

10 Chorus Frog Distributions

Spotted Chorus Frog (P. clarkii)

Family Crawfish Frog Ranidae ( areolata) Lives in crayfish and small mammal burrows. Breeding Call

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

SVL = 2.5” Species of Concern Characteristics: (G4, S4)

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

Family Crawfish Frog Known to eat crayfish and Ranidae (Rana areolata) small . Distribution: EM

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

11 Family Gopher Frog Ranidae (Rana capito)

• Sometimes calls Breeding Call from beneath water

• Deep drawn-out Breeding Season snore or growl • Sounds like a • Early (Feb) woodpecker pecking SVL = 3” Species of Concern Characteristics: (G3, S1)

• Dark spots NOT encircled in white, spotted throat • Dorsal lateral folds & sacral humps apparent

Life History in Family Gopher Frog Tennessee is Ranidae (Rana capito) Unknown

EM Distribution: Rarest anuran in Tennessee 1993: Dr. Brian Miller

http://www.apsu.edu/amatlas/ • Gulf Coastal Plain • Coffee County (Tullahoma)

Family Ranidae (Rana catesbeiana)

Largest frog in Breeding Call Tennessee

• loud deep Eat anything "jug-o-rum" can fit in mouth • 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

12 Family American bullfrog Ranidae (Rana catesbeiana)

Distribution: EM

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

Family Green frog Ranidae (Rana 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 (Rana clamitans)

Distribution: EM

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

13 Family Pickerel frog Ranidae (Rana palustris)

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

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

Family Pickerel frog Prefer cool (Rana palustris) water with high Ranidae water quality Distribution: EM

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

Family Southern Ranidae (Rana sphenocephla)

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

14 Family Southern leopard frog Ranidae (Rana sphenocephla) Escapes predators by Distribution: EM swimming underwater

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

Family Wood frog Ranidae (Rana sylvatica)

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 (Rana sylvatica)

Distribution: F

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

15 Seasonal Occurrence Tennessee Anurans

January: southeastern 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, , 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.

Citations and Helpful Websites Identification Texts • Conant, R., J. T. Collins. 1998. Peterson field guides: reptiles and amphibians: Eastern/Central . 3rd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY, USA. • Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2004. The amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN, USA. Pictures • USGS- Checklist of species and identification guide http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam/idguide/ Pictures and Calls • LEAPS-Environmental Consulting http://www.leaps.ms/ • Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (Frogs and Toads of TN) http://www.state.tn.us/twra/frogs.html • Frog and Toads of North Carolina http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/anurans/anurans.html

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