2017 frogs and toads of Montgomery County
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Transcript of 2017 frogs and toads of Montgomery County
Frogs and Toads of
Montgomery County Maryland
Montgomery County
Department of Environmental
Protection
Common Frogs and Toads of
Montgomery County
•Spring Peeper
• Wood Frog
• Pickerel Frog
• Southern Leopard Frog
• Northern Green Frog
• American Bullfrog
• Northern Cricket Frog
• Gray Treefrog
• Cope’s Gray Treefrog
• Upland Chorus Frog
• American Toad
• Fowler’s Toad
•Green Treefrog
Montgomery County
Species Calling CalendarSpecies Feb March April May June July Aug
Spring Peeper x x
Wood Frog x x
Upland Chorus Frog x x x
Pickerel Frog x x
Southern Leopard Frog x x x x
American Toad x x x x x
American Bullfrog x (late) x x x
Fowler's Toad x (late) x x x
Northern Green Frog x (late) x x x
Gray Treefrog x x x
Cope's Gray Treefrog x x x
Northern Cricket Frog x x x x
Wood Frog
Lithobates sylvaticus
© National Park Service
Wood FrogSize: 1 3/8-3 ¼ inches
Striped appearance is common in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and points north, un-striped found south and east.
The only North American frog found north of the Arctic Circle. Currently being studied for their ability to live after freezing solid.
Habitat: Moist woodlands in eastern areas; open grasslands in western; tundra in the far north. Obligate seasonal pool breeder.
© Jim Harding, MSU
Wood Frog
Voice: Series of short raspy quacks
Listen carefully! Call is somewhat muted and does not project or carry very far.
© Jim Harding, MSU
Spring Peeper(Pseudacris crucifer)
© Jim Harding, MSU
Spring Peeper
Size: ¾ -1 ½ inches
The spring peeper is one of the most familiar frogs in the East, although it is heard far more often than seen.
Habitat: Wooded areas in or near temporarily flooded ponds and swamps© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo
Spring Peeper
Voice: High-pitched ascending whistle, sometimes with a short trill, given once per second, in a multiple-frog chorus: peep, peep, peep.
Agonistic call is a sharp preep, often confused with other chorus frog species.
Males call from shrubs and trees near water or tucked low in emergent vegetation.
© Jim Harding, MSU
Pickerel Frog(Lithobates palustris)
© Jim Harding, MSU
Pickerel Frog
Size: 1¾ - 3 inches
An irritating skin secretion makes this frog unappetizing to some predators. The secretion will kill other frogs kept in the same collecting container or terrarium.
Habitat: Slow-moving waters and other damp areas preferably with low, dense vegetation; streams, swamps, and meadows
© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo
Pickerel Frog
Voice: Steady, low, snore-like croak. Raspy in quality and may last up to 2 seconds.
May call in a rolling snore while under water.
© USFWS
Southern Leopard Frog
(Lithobates sphenocephalus)
© Dick Bartlett
Southern Leopard Frog
Size: 2 - 5 inches
To elude a predator this frog dives into the water, makes a sharp turn while still submerged, and surfaces amid vegetation at the water's edge.
Frequently hunted for frogs' legs.
Habitat: Any freshwater location
© Dick Bartlett
Southern Leopard Frog
Range: From New Jersey to the Florida Keys; west to Texas.
Voice: Series of short, throaty, chuckle-like croaks. Males call while afloat or from land. © Virginia Herpetological Society
Northern Cricket Frog(Acris crepitans)
© Jim Harding, MSU
Northern Cricket Frog
Size: 5/8 - 1 ½ inches
Among the most agile leapers and can jump surprisingly long distances (5 - 6 feet) for its small size.
Habitat: Sunny ponds of shallow water with good growth of vegetation in the water or on the shore; slow-moving streams with sunny banks
© Jim Harding, MSU
Northern Cricket Frog
Voice: Sharp, measured clicking, repeated in rapid succession.
Call reminiscent of two glass marbles being tapped together or the shaking of a spray paint can.
Call produced through a single vocal sac.
© Jim Harding, MSU
American Toad(Anaxyrus americanus)
© Jim Harding, MSU
American Toad
• Size: 2- 4 inches
• Toads lay eggs in a long string (e.g., note strands in the photo), while frogs lay them in clumps.
• Habitat: Mowed grassy yards to forested mountains. Wherever there is abundant moisture and insects.
© Joe Greathouse, Oglebay’s Good Zoo
American Toad
Voice: A pleasant musical trill lasting 5 to 30 seconds.
Call sounds like a simultaneous whistle and hum.
Single vocal sac that is large, round, and prominent when inflated
© Jim Harding, MSU
Fowler’s Toad
Anaxyrus fowleri
© Jim Harding, MSU
Fowler’s Toad
• Size: 2 ½ - 3 ¾ inches
• Likes to burrow into the ground during hot, dry periods and during the winter
• Habitat: Sandy areas near marshes, irrigation ditches, backyards, and temporary rain pools
© USFWS
Fowler’s Toad
Voice: Plaintive, descending, 1- to 4-second "wraaaaaah.”
Brash and nasal in quality.
Produced through a single vocal sac.
© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo
Green Frog(Lithobates clamitans)
© NOAA
Green Frog
Size: 2 - 4 inches
Habitat: Lives close to shallow water, springs, streams, swamps, brooks, and edges of ponds and lakes. May be found among rotting debris of fallen trees.© USGS
Green Frog
Voice: like the twang of a loose banjo string, usually given as a single note.
Burst of sound that when given in rapid succession, will get progressively quieter.
Made through a pair of internal vocal pouches. © Jim Harding, MSU
American Bullfrog(Lithobates catesbianus)
© USGS
American Bullfrog
• Size: 3 – 8 inches.
• The largest frog in North America.
• Large specimens have been known to catch and swallow small birds and young snakes
• Habitat: Ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams with vegetation. (Must be large enough to avoid crowding). Usually found on the bank at water’s edge. When frightened, the bullfrog is likely to flee into nearby vegetation.
© Jim Harding, MSU
© Paul Crump, Houston Zoo
American Bullfrog
Voice: Deep-pitched “jug o'rum” resembling the bellow of a bull.
Sound produced by a single internal vocal sac that inflates to form a bulge under the chin.
Call can be heard for more than a quarter mile.
© Jim Harding, MSU
Gray Treefrog
(Hyla versicolor)
© Jim Harding, MSU
Gray TreefrogSize: 1 ¼ - 2 ½ inches
Two species of gray treefrog are identical in appearance. The difference is the call.
Gray treefrogs can change color from green to gray.
Habitat: Trees or shrubs growing in or near permanent water
© Jim Harding, MSU
Gray Treefrog
Voice: A hearty, resonating trill, usually heard in spring and early summer.
The Cope’s gray treefrog has half as many chromosomes as the gray treefrog. Its call is a faster, raspier less musical trill.
© Jim Harding, MSU
© Jim Harding, MSU
Cope’s Gray Treefrog(Hyla chrysoscelis)
© Joe Greathouse, Oglebay’s Good Zoo
Cope’s Gray Treefrog
Size: 1 ¼ - 2 3/8
inches
Habitat: Trees and
shrubs in or near
ponds or other
wetlands
© Dick Bartlett
Cope’s Gray TreefrogVoice: A hearty, raspy resonating trill, usually heard in spring and early summer.
Faster trill that is less musical than that of the identical-looking gray treefrog
© Dick Bartlett
A few odd ones
Upland Chorus Frog(Pseudacris feriarum)
Size: 3/4 – 1.5 inches
Habitat: grassy ditches,
flooded fields and
temporary wetlands
Upland Chorus FrogVoice: a regularly repeated “crrreek,” sounding similar to fingers running over the teeth of a comb
Call is often heard very early in the season
© Dick Bartlett
Green Treefrog
(Hyla cinerea)
Size: 1 – 2.5 inches
Habitat: Wetlands with
plentiful floating
vegetation, grasses,
and cattails.
Green Treefrog
• Voice: A monotone
queenk, queenk,
queenk
• Often heard in late
spring and early
summer.
POP QUIZ!
•Spring Peeper
•Green Frog
•Gray Treefrog
CONSULT LOCAL RESOURCES
• Frogs and Toads of Montgomery County:
• http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/water/frogs-and-toads.html
• Maryland Quiz
– https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Frogquiz/index.cfm?fuseaction=publicQuiz.StartPublicQuiz
• Northeastern Species
– Species of Toads and Frogs Found in New York: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7487.html
– Online Field Guide for Reptiles and Amphibians - Frogs and Toads (New Jersey):
http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/fieldguide_herps.htm#frogs-toads
– Discover Maryland’s Herps - Field Guide to Maryland’s Frogs and Toads:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Anura/fieldguide_OrderAnura.asp
– Frogs and Toads of West Virginia: http://www.marshall.edu/herp/anurans.htm
CONSULT LOCAL RESOURCES
• Southeastern Species
– Frogs and Toads of Virginia:
http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm
– Frogs and Toads of North Carolina: http://www.herpsofnc.org/herps_of_NC/anurans/anurans.html
– USGS Southeast Ecological Science Center - Anura:
http://fl.biology.usgs.gov/herps/Frogs_and_Toads/frogs_and_toads.html
– USGS South Central Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative:
http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/sc_armi/frogs_and_toads/index.html