Herpatology Toads and Frogs

• New Zealand Frogs and Tailed Frogs

• Leiopelmatidae: 1 genus, 3 species

• Ascaphidae: 1 genus, 2 species

• New Zealand, Northwest US

• voiceless, lack tympanum

• extra vertebrae, residual tail muscles

• copulatory organ (tail) amplexus → coplexus

• clear, cold mountain streams

Family Leiopelmatidae and Ascaphidae

• Fire-bellied Toads, Flat-headed frogs

• 9 species in 2 genera in Europe and Asia

Family Bombinatoridae

• African Clawed Frogs, Suriname Toads

• 41 species and 4 genera

• sub-Saharan Africa, tropical South America

• tongueless; lack vocal cords

• underwater calls produced by the larynx

• highly aquatic (still or slow moving)

• eggs are aquatic or embedded into the females dorsal skin

• lateral line system

• fully webbed hind feet

Family Pipidae

• Nearctic Spadefoots

• 7 species in 2 genera

• fossorial

• vertical pupils

Family Scaphiopodidae

• Eastern Spadefoot

• golden eyes and vertical pupils

• sickle-shaped dark ridge (spade) on the underside of each foot

• no parotoid gland

• well-drained,loose, sandy soil

• breed explosively after heavy rainstorms

• species of special concern in NYS

• only in lost island and one small population upstate

Scaphiopus holbrookii

• Australian Toadlets, Turtle Frogs

• 92 species in 15 genera in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea

• Extinct Australian gastric-brooding frogs :(

• R. silus was the focus of a study of cloning

Family Myobatrachidae

• Glass Frogs

• 169 species

• South and Central South America

• transparent abdominal skin

• adhesive toe disks

• arboreal

Family Centrolenidae

• Poison Frogs

• 212 Species

• Central and South America

• highly evolved parental care

• skin alkaloids from arthropod diet

• aposematic

Family Dendrobatidae

• True Toads, Harlequin Frogs, and others

• 666 species

• native across most tropical and temperate regions (absent from australia, madagascar, and oceanic islands)

• rough skin

• parotiod glands

• terrestrial to semi fossorial (some aquatic, some arboreal)

• stringy egg masses

Family Bufonidae

• stout, rough skin

• reddish-brown to light brown

• 1-2 warts per black spot

• SPOTS ON BELLY

• parotoid glands don’t usually touch cranial crest

• habitat generalists, spring breeders

• all over NYS except LI

Anaxyrus (Bufo) americanus

• Fowler’s toad

• 3-5 warts per dark spot

• creamy, unspotted belly

• parotoid gland usually touches cranial crest

• sandy lowlands

• breed later in season then America Toad

• found more on LI, scattered throughout some other area in NYS

Anaxyrus (Bufo) fowleri

• Treefrogs

• 768 species

• Americas, West Indies, disjunct in Eurasia, Australia-Papuan region

• high diversity in tropics

• expanded toe pads

• most arboreal, some ground dwelling

Family Hylidae

• Northern Cricket Frog

• smallest frog in NYS

• dark triangle between eyes, light belly

• make yellow throat in breeding season

• highly webbed feet

• habitat specialist (few distinct, vegetated wetlands)

• breed in early summer

• green stripe down back

• only in southern NYS

Acris crepitans

• Gray Tree Frog

• green to gray with blotches

• light spot with dark edge bellow eye

• large toe discs

• moist, deciduous woodlands

• breed in late spring to early summer

• all over NYS

Hyla versicolor

• Cope’s Gray Tree Frog

• identical to Gray Tree Frog

• call slightly faster than the Gray Tree Frog (but call speed can depend on temperature)

• moist, deciduous woodlands, mostly along Erie/Ontario

• breed late spring to early summer

Hyla chrysoscelis

• spring peeper

• small with “X” on back

• narrow waist, cream colored underside

• dark patch by eye

• habitat generalists

• breeds in early spring

• all over NYS

Pseudacris crucifer

• western chorus frog

• small and brown with 3 dark stripes down back

• facial mask, white mustache, white belly, poorly developed toe discs

• grasslands, forest edge

• breeds in the spring

• only in the more northern areas of NYS (by the buffalo area and the thousand islands area, but one spot on the edge of lake Ontario has no frogs??)

Pseudacris triseriata

• Afroasian Tree Frogs

• 492 species

• sub-saharan africa, madagascar, South Asia

• have enlarged toe pads

• some species have extensive webbing between toes, used to glide from canopy

Family Rhacophoridae

• True Frogs

• 465 Species

• worldwide distribution except for southern south america and most of australia

• long legs and webbing between toes

• variety of habitats, typically in ponds

Family Ranidae

• bullfrog

• largest frog in NYS

• skin fold from eye to rear of tympanum (males have a larger one)

• no dorsolateral fold

• permanent pond/ lake residents

• voracious habits (eat a lot)

• breed in summer

• small game in NYS

• all over NYS

Lithobates (Rana) catesbeiana

• green frog

• highly variable in color

• underbelly white

• dorsal lateral ridge 2/3 way down back

• toe webbing DOES NOT reach 5th digit

• white underbelly

• strips on legs when folded

• permanent water bodies

• most common frog in NYS

• late spring to summer breeders

• all over NYS

Lithobates (Rana) calmitans

• pickerel frog

• tan-colored back with rectangular spots

• orange-yellow groin

• light strip along jaw

• slow, shallow moving waters with dense vegetation

• terrestrial after breeding in spring

• often last frog to enter hibernation

• can be found through NYS, but not as common as bullfrogs and green frogs

Lithobates (Rana) palustris

• Northern leopard Frog

• brown, grey, or green with 2 or 3 rows of black roundish spots with light borders

• underside white

• light colored dorsolateral fold almost entire length of body

• most common frog of grassland areas

• breeds in spring

• mostly in upstate/ central NYS

Lithobates (Rana) pipiens

• mink frog

• olive grey, heavily mottled

• back leg markings messy

• musky, mink like odor

• webbing runs to last joint of toes

• often lack dorsolateral fold

• cold northern lakes, ponds, streams; like lily pads

• frog of the north

• breed in summer

• in northern NYS

Lithobates (Rana) septentrionalis

• southern leopard frog

• similar to northern leopard frog in appearance

• light dot in the middle of tympanum

• head is pointed (more pointed than northern leopard frog)

• vegetated permanent or semipermanent wetlands

• breed in early spring and early summer

• mostly on LI and a small population in the finger lakes

Lithobates (Rana) sphenocephalus

• atlantic coast leopard frog

• round spots, faint dot usually but not always present on tympanum

• duller, less varied coloration than southern

• open and vegetated wetlands

• breed in the spring

• only on LI and around NYC

Lithobates (Rana) kauffeldi

• wood frog

• tan-colored with dark eye mask

• prominent dorsolateral folds

• cream underside

• mature, deciduous forests with vernal pools or fish-less pools

• freeze tolerent

• explosive breeders in early spring

• all over NYS

Lithobates sylvaticus

• narrow-mouthed frogs

• 778 species

• world wide except antarctica

• range of body shapes

• narrow mouth, wide bodies, “normal” legs

• fossorial, arboreal, terrestrial

Family Microhylidae