Frog Call Survey 2002 - 2006

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Gray Treefrog Southern Leopard Spring Peeper Frog Call Survey 2002 - 2006 Wood Frog Green Frog Upland Chorus American Toad E. Spadefoot Northern Cricket Bullfrog Frog and Toad Species 9 species of frogs and 3 species of toads Eastern Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus holbrookii) American Toad (Bufo americanus) Fowler’s Toad (Bufo fowlerii) Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) Green Frog (Rana clamitans) Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) Southern Leopard Frog (Rana utricularia) Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata) Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica) Eastern Spadefoot Toad Habitat Type: Usually found in areas with sandy or loose soil Voice: Explosive grunt, low-pitched, and short in duration Have a single, sharp-edged, black spade on each hind foot. Spade enables the toad to burrow down into the sand/soil. American Toad Habitat Type: Ranges from suburban backyards to mountain wildernesses Need shallow water and/or areas with some moisture. Voice: Long musical trill Chest and forward part of abdomen usually spotted with dark pigment. One or two warts in each of the largest dark spots. Fowler’s Toad Habitat Type: chiefly sandy areas, around shores of lakes, or in river valleys. Voice: A short, unmusical bleat. Virtually unspotted belly. Three or more warts in each of the largest dark spots. Bullfrog Habitat Type: Prefers large bodies of water Voice: A vibrate, sonorous series of bass notes best stated as “jug ’o rum” No dorsolateral ridges Has less fully webbed toes, 4th toe extends past the webbing. Gray Treefrog Habitat Type: Small trees and shrubs near or in shallow standing bodied water Voice: Small musical trill, a resonant, flute-like trill, sounds similar to the call of the red- bellied woodpecker. Orange on concealed portions of legs. Green Frog Habitat Type: Shallow, fresh water. Voice: Like a loose banjo string and rather explosive, either a single note or repeated 3 or 4 times. Has dorsolateral ridges ending on body. Northern Cricket Frog Habitat Type: In or near permanent bodies of shallow water that provide cover in the form of vegetation. Voice: “gick-gick-gick”, like two pebbles being hit together slowly at first but picking up speed, continuing for 20-30 plus beats. 1st toe completely webbed and only 1.5 to 2 joints of the 4th toe are free. Northern Spring Peeper Habitat Type: Bushy second growth near small or semi-permanent ponds or swamps. Voice: High peeping whistle, a single clear note repeated at intervals. Dark cross on back. Pickerel Frog Habitat Type: Cool, clear water. Voice: Steady low pitched snore of 1 to 2 seconds duration. Square spots in two parallel rows down the back. Bright yellow or orange on concealed surfaces of hind legs. Southern Leopard Frog Habitat Type: All types of shallow freshwater habitats and slightly brackish marshes. Voice: Short chuckle like guttural trill, pulse rate usually fewer than 13 per second. Distinct light spot in center of tympanum. Dark dorsal spots highly variable. Upland Chorus Frog Habitat Type: Grassy lowlands, moist woodlands and river-bottom swamps. Voice: regularly repeated “crreek” or “prreep” Dark stripe from snout to groin passing through the eye. Dark triangle between eyes. Wood Frog Habitat Type: In or near moist wooded areas. Voice: A hoarse clacking sound that suggests the quack of a duck. Dark patch extending backward from the eye. Survey Sites 2002-2004 15 sites * indicate new sites 2005-2006 20 sites for 2005-2006 Blue Road* New Marsh Blue Heron Pond* Peeper Pond Cash Lake Powerline Swamp Chorus Frog Site* Range Pond Harding Spring Pond Red Road* Hobbs Pond Rogue Harbor Knowles 2 Salamander Pond Merganser Pond Sam’s Pond* Midway Branch Uhler 1 Millrace 2 Wood Duck Pond Chorus Frog Site Rogue Harbor Range Pond Map of Sites Red Road Blue Road Merganser Pond Blue Heron Pond Wood Duck Pond Midway Branch Millrace 2 Salamander Pond Uhler 1 New Marsh Knowles 2 Peeper Pond Hobbs Pond 1 Powerline Swamp Sam's Pond Cash Lake Harding Spring Pond Legend Permanency Permanent Semi-Permanent Temporary Buffer_of_proposed_2005_pts_v4 Blue text = Adds diversity value Rogue Harbor Range Pond Midway Branch Wood Duck Pond & Surrounding Areas New Marsh Merganser Pond & Surrounding Areas PRR Anuran Call Count Survey (Contacts: LE – 240-882-0925; Marilyn cell/desk – 240-882-0360/301-497-5949) Observer: Refuge Route: 1a Survey Date: Run Number: (first and last name) (include year) Point Data SAMSa HARDa CASHa UHL1a KNO2a Start Time Air Temperature (oF) Wind Scale Sky Code Was noise a factor? ( = yes) Did you take a timeout? (= yes) Species Heard: 3 min. 5 min. 3 min. 5 min. 3 min. 5 min. 3 min. 5 min. 3 min. 5 min. Eastern Spadefoot Toad American Toad Fowler’s Toad Northern Cricket Frog Gray Treefrog Northern Spring Peeper Upland Chorus Frog Bullfrog Green Frog Wood Frog Southern Leopard Frog Pickerel Frog Comments: Call Index Value: 1 = Calls can be counted, no overlapping. 2 = Calls can be distinguished, some overlapping. 3 = Full chorus, calls continuous and overlapping. Sky Code: 0 = Clear / few clouds. 1 = Partly cloudy / variable. 2 = Cloudy (broken) or overcast. 4 = Fog / Smoke 5 = Drizzle / light rain 7 = Snow *8 = Showers (do not conduct survey) Wind Scale: 0 = Smoke rises vertically. *4 =Small branches move, raises dust and loose paper. 1 = Light air movement, smoke drifts. *5 = Small trees in leaf begin to sway, crested wavelets. 2 = Wind felt on face, leaves rustle. *6 = Large branches in motion. 3 = Gentle breeze, leaves and small twigs in motion. * Unacceptable wind strengths for survey. SCDI Values Species diversity values based on calls. SCDI values were calculated by using the Simpson’s Diversity formula. Simpson’s Diversity formula requires the species abundance. Assumptions: Call Code 1 there was 1 individual Call Code 2 there was 4 individuals Call Code 3 there was 9 individuals Summary 2002 SCDI Site Comparison 2002 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 SCDI Value 0.05 0 MIL2a SALAa CASHa HARDa HOBBa KNO2a MERGa MIDWa NEWMa PEEPaPOWEa RANGaROGUa UHL1aWOODa Site Midway Branch had the worst SCDI value (0.249). Salamander Pond and Range Pond had the best SCDI values (0.138). Summary 2002 Cont. Number of Occassions Species Heard 2002 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of Occassions EST AT Bf FT GTf GF None NCF NSP PF SLF UCF WF Species Northern Spring Peeper heard the most (60). Northern Spring Peeper, Northern Cricket Frog, and the Gray Treefrog were heard at the most locations (15). Upland Chorus Frog was heard the least and at the fewest locations. (2). Summary 2003 SCDI Site Comparison 2003 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 SCDI Value 0.05 0 MIL2a CASHaHARDa KNO2a MIDWa PEEPa SALAa UHL1a HOBBa MERGa NEWMa POWEaRANGaROGUa WOODa Site Peeper Pond had the worst SCDI value (0.301). New Marsh had the best SCDI value (0.136). Summary 2003 Cont. Number of Occassions Species Heard 2003 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of Occassions of Number AT Bf FT GF PF EST GTf SLF WF None NCF NSP UCF Species Northern Cricket Frog heard the most (44). Northern Cricket Frog and Northern Spring Peeper were heard at the most locations (15). Upland Chorus Frog was not heard this year. One Wood Frog call was heard at one location. Summary 2004 SCDI Site Comparison 2004 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 SCDI Value 0.05 0 MIL2a SALAa CASHa HARDaHOBBa KNO2a MERGa MIDWa NEWMa PEEPaPOWEa RANGaROGUa UHL1aWOODa Site Midway Branch had the worst SCDI value (0.319). Knowles 2 had the best SCDI value (0.146). Summary 2004 Cont. Number of Occassions Species Heard 2004 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of Occassions of Number AT Bf FT GF PF EST GTf SLF WF None NCF NSP UCF Species Northern Spring Peeper heard the most (63). Northern Spring Peeper, Northern Cricket Frog, Green Frog, and Southern Leopard Frog were heard at the most locations (15). Upland Chorus Frog (3) and Wood Frog (4) heard the least. Summary 2005 (15 Sites) SCDI Site Comparison 2005 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 SCDI Value 0.05 0 MIL2a SALAa CASHa HARDaHOBBa KNO2a MERGa MIDWa NEWMa PEEPaPOWEa RANGaROGUa UHL1aWOODa Site Peeper Pond had the worst SCDI value (0.308). Range Pond had the best SCDI value (0.169). Summary 2005 (15 Sites) Cont. Number of Occassions Species Heard 2005 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of Occassions Occassions of Number AT Bf FT GF PF EST GTf SLF WF None NCF NSP UCF Species Northern Spring Peeper was heard the most (62). N. Spring Peeper, N. Cricket Frog, Gray Treefrog, and Green Frog heard at the most locations. American Toad (1), Upland Chorus Frog (3), and Wood Frog (3) heard the least. Summary 2006 (15 Sites) SCDI Site Comparison 2006 0.35 0.3 0.25 0.2 0.15 0.1 SCDI Value 0.05 0 MIL2a SALAa CASHa HARDaHOBBa KNO2a MERGa MIDWa NEWMa PEEPaPOWEa RANGaROGUa UHL1aWOODa Site Salamander Pond had the worst SCDI value (0.307). Uhler 1 had the best SCDI value (0.144). Summary 2006 (15 Sites) Cont. Number of Occassions Species Heard 2006 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Number of Occassions of Number AT Bf FT GF PF EST GTf SLF WF None NCF NSP UCF Species Northern Spring Peeper heard the most (66). N. Spring Peeper and Green Frog heard at the most locations (15). Upland Chorus Frog (3) and Wood Frog (7) heard the least.
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    Sierran Chorus Frog Page 1 Pacific Tree Sierran Chorus Frog: Pseudacris sierra Tree frogs are a whole family of frogs that live in trees. The least arboreal member of the group is our Pacific Tree Frog. People often ask, did our Pacific Tree Frog get renamed to the Pacific Chorus Frog? Tree frog is in the genus Hyla; chorus frog is in the genus Pseudacris. For awhile our Pacific Tree Frog was determined to be more genetically similar to chorus frogs. So its genus was changed from Hyla to Pseudacris. Then it changed back. Now it’s back to Pseudacris. Not only is it a chorus frog … it’s no longer a Pacific chorus frog. The latest news is that the frog has been split into three species: Pseudacris hypochondriaca - Baja California Treefrog, Pseudacris regilla - Northern Pacific Treefrog, and Pseudacris sierra - Sierran Treefrog. Technically, our frog is the Sierran tree frog. The great thing is that the frog itself doesn’t know or care. Identifying characteristics: . Enlarged bulbous toes allow the frog to cling to vertical surfaces. (If you find a small red- legged frog – it won’t have toe bulbs or an eye stripe.) . Color polymorphism: There are three main color traits: o Yellow-green o Brown (beige-brown) o Ability to change between yellow- green and brown . All tree frogs can change their brightness in response to temperature, humidity, and stress due to a hormone that regulates how much melanin is expressed. Almost all of them can . Dark stripe through eye. (Even though there get almost black. Their ability to change color are many color variations, this is our only frog is not instantaneous – and it can be observed.
  • Tadpoles of the United States and Canada

    REFERENCES Altig, R., R. W. McDiarmid, K. A. Nichols, P.C. Ustach. 1998. A Key to the Anuran Tadpoles of the United States and Canada. Con- TADPOLES temporary Herpetology Information Series 2:1-58. OF THE SOUTHEASTERN Ashton, R.E., Jr., and P.S. Ashton. 1988. Handbook of Reptiles and UNITED STATES COASTAL PLAIN Amphibians of Florida. Part III, The Amphibians. Windward Publishing, Miami, FL. Bartlett, R.D., and P.P. Bartlett. 1999. A Field Guide to Florida Rep- tiles and Amphibians. Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX. Carr, A.F, Jr. 1940. A Contribution to the Herpetology of Florida. Univ. of Florida Biological Science Series 3(1): 1-118. Conant, R., and J.T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Am- phibians of Eastern and Central North America. Third Edition Expanded. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY. Dodd, C.K., Jr. 2004. The Amphibians of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Univ. of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN. McDiarmid, R.W, and R. Altig. 1999. Tadpoles: The Biology of Anu- ran Larvae. Univ. of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. Nichols, R.J. 1937. Taxonomic Studies on the Mouth Parts of Larval Anura. Illinois Biological Monographs 15(4):1-73. Trauth, S.E., H.W. Robison and M. V. Plummer. 2004. The Amphibi- ans and Reptiles of Arkansas. Univ. of Arkansas Press, Fayette- ville, AR. Wright, A.H. 1929. Synopsis and Description of North American Tad- poles. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 74 (11): 1-70. Wright, A.H. 1932. Life Histories of the Frogs of Okefinokee Swamp, Georgia. Cornell Univ.