Upland Chorus Frog
Encyclopedia
Upland Chorus Frog is a species
of chorus frog
found in the United States
. It was recently separated from the Western Chorus Frog
, (Pseudacris triseriata), being identified as an individual species rather than a subspecies
.
, grey
-brown, or red
dish-brown in color, with darker blotching. They grow from 0.75–1.5 inches (1.9–3.8 cm) in size.
to the Florida
panhandle; west to eastern Texas
and southeast Oklahoma
.
frog
s, and are rarely seen (or heard) except immediately after rains. They are an almost entirely terrestrial species, and found in a variety of habitats, but usually moderately moist, vegetated areas, not far from a permanent water source. Like most frogs, they are insectivorous
. Breeding occurs throughout the year, but most frequently during the cooler, more rainy periods from November to March. Eggs
are laid in clusters of 60 or so, in water and attached to vegetation. The female can lay upwards of 1,000 eggs at a time.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of chorus frog
Chorus frog
Chorus frogs are a genus of frogs in the Hylidae family, and are found in North America on both sides of the Rocky Mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Gulf of Mexico....
found in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was recently separated from the Western Chorus Frog
Western Chorus Frog
The Western Chorus Frog, Striped Chorus Frog, or Midland Chorus Frog is a species of tree frog found in Canada and the United States.- Description and Identification :...
, (Pseudacris triseriata), being identified as an individual species rather than a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
.
Description
Upland Chorus Frogs are usually brownBrown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
, grey
Grey
Grey or gray is an achromatic or neutral color.Complementary colors are defined to mix to grey, either additively or subtractively, and many color models place complements opposite each other in a color wheel. To produce grey in RGB displays, the R, G, and B primary light sources are combined in...
-brown, or red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
dish-brown in color, with darker blotching. They grow from 0.75–1.5 inches (1.9–3.8 cm) in size.
Geographic distribution
Found in the southern and eastern United States, the Upland Chorus Frog is found from the state of New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
panhandle; west to eastern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and southeast Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Behavior
Upland Chorus Frogs are secretive, nocturnalNocturnal animal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal"....
frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, and are rarely seen (or heard) except immediately after rains. They are an almost entirely terrestrial species, and found in a variety of habitats, but usually moderately moist, vegetated areas, not far from a permanent water source. Like most frogs, they are insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
. Breeding occurs throughout the year, but most frequently during the cooler, more rainy periods from November to March. Eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
are laid in clusters of 60 or so, in water and attached to vegetation. The female can lay upwards of 1,000 eggs at a time.