Tag: herps

Frog of the Week

Desert Spadefoot Toad (Notaden nichollsi)

Adam
Desert Spadefoot Toad
photo by Richard D Reams

Common Name: Desert Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Notaden nichollsi
Family: Myobatrachidae – Australian Ground Frog family
Location: Australia
Size: 2.5 inches (6.5 cm)

The Desert Spadefoot Toad lives in northern arid regions of Australia. They spend most of their time burrowed underground to prevent water loss. Some have been found 3 feet (1 meter) deep. They only come to the surface following the summer heavy rains to mate and eat.

Mating season lasts from December to March. Males migrate to temporary ponds that were filled with rain water. From there, they call out for the females. Once the females arrive, the males grasps them from behind in amplexus. Then, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. The female lays around a thousand eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the tadpoles take 2 – 4 weeks to complete their metamorphosis.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Desert Spadefoot Toad as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a large range and a presumed large population.

Frog of the Week

Vicente’s Poison Frog (Oophaga vicentei)

Adam
Vicente's Poison Frog (Oophaga vicentei)
photo by Brian Gratwicke
Conservation status is Endangered

Common Name: Vicente’s Poison Frog
Scientific Name: Oophaga vicentei
Family: Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frog family
Location: Panama
Size: 0.7 – 0.9 inches (18 – 23 mm)

The Vicente’s Poison Frog lives along the eastern lowlands of the coast of Panama. They come in a variety of different colors. They live mostly in trees but are seen in some areas on the ground or the base of trees. Even mating takes place in the trees. Females lay their eggs in plants, lay unfertilized eggs for their tadpoles to eat, and move the eggs from plant to plant if the water is drying up. The genus Oophaga means egg eating.

Vicente's Poison Frog (Oophaga vicentei)
Brian Gratwicke

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Vicente’s Poison Frog as Endangered with Extinction. The habitat for the frog is being destroyed to make room for farms, mines, and houses. Besides that, Chytrid Fungus, a deadly disease for frogs, has been found in the species. There are some frogs in captivity to help keep them safe, including at the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.

Vicente's Poison Frog (Oophaga vicentei)
photo by Brian Gratwicke
Frog of the Week

Rio Grande Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus campi)

Adam
Rio Grande Chirping Frog
photo by Hardin Waddle (USGS)
leastconcern


Common Name: Rio Grande Chirping Frog, Camps Chirping Frog
Scientific Name: Eleutherodactylus campi
Family: Eleutherodactylidae
Locations: Mexico and the United States – Texas
Introduced Locations: Alabama, Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana
Size: 0.6 – 1 inch (16 – 26 mm)

The Rio Grande Chirping Frog is a small frog that lives in the leaf litter and short vegetation Breeding season for the frog lasts from March to July. The eggs of the frog are direct developing, skipping the tadpole stage and hatching straight into tiny froglets. Due to this, the frogs don’t need a water body to reproduce. They like to hide their eggs in moist, sheltered spots.

The species was once considered a subspecies of the Mexican Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus cystignathoides) but was elevated to full species status in 2018.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assess the Rio Grande Chirping Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. The frog has a wide range and a presumed large population. They are quite adaptable to habitat disturbances like the increase of coffee and banana plantations.

The plant trade has brought the Rio Grande Chirping Frog to other parts of the US. Its native to the southern tip of Texas but has spread more north and over to Louisiana and Alabama.

Frog of the Week

Pacific Horned Frog (Ceratophrys stolzmanni)

Adam
Pacific Horned Frog
photo by Santiago Ron

Common Name: Pacific Horned Frog or Stolzmann’s Horned Frog
Scientific Name: Ceratophrys stolzmanni
Family: Ceratophryidae – Horned Frog family
Locations: Ecuador and Peru
Male Size: 1.8 – 2.6 inches (48 – 68 mm)
Female Size: 2 – 3.2 inches (53 – 82 mm)

The Pacific Horned Frog lives along the Pacific coast of southern Ecuador and the very northern coast of Peru. They don’t live a long life, only about 3 years. The frog is most active during the rainy season (January – May). They spend most of their time sitting still in the leaf litter, waiting for their prey to walk by. Their prey items is anything that they can fit into their mouth. The frogs do breed in temporary pools formed by the rains during the rainy season.

During the other parts of the year, they spend their time underground in a dormant state. They form a cocoon of dead skin around their body during this time to prevent them from drying out during the hot months.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assesses the Pacific Horned Frog as Vulnerable to Extinction. A lot of the frog’s habitat has been lost to farms, urban areas, and logging.

Frog of the Week

Hot Creek Toad (Anaxyrus monfontanus)

Adam
Hot Creek Toad
photo by William Flaxington

Common Name: Hot Creek Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus monfontanus
Family: Bufonidae – True Toad family
Locations: United States – Nevada
Size: 2.3 inches (60 mm)

The Hot Creek Toad is a new species to science. Once considered to be a population of the Western Toad (Anaxyrus boreas), they were elevated to full species status in 2020. Like most toads, the Hot Creek Toad is nocturnal. Not much about its life history has been confirmed but its probably similar to the Western’s Toad

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List has not assessed the conservation status of the Hot Creek Toad. However, the toad is thought to be rather threatened. They live in a small area in the Hot Creek Canyon area.

Frog of the Week

Florida Bog Frog (Rana okaloosae)

Adam
Floridae Bog Frog
photo by Kevin Enge
vulnerable

Common Name: Florida Bog Frog
Scientific Name: Rana okaloosae
Family: Ranidae – True Frog family
Locations: United States – Florida
Size: 1.3 – 1.9 inches (34 to 49 mm)

The Florida Bog Frog lives in bogs in the panhandle of Florida. They are the smallest species of True Frogs in the United States. The frogs have a brownish-yellow body with a yellow throat.

The frogs mate between April and August. During this time, males call out from shallows of water bodies to attract females. Once the female arrives, the male grasps her from behind in the amplexus position. Next, the female starts to lay her eggs and the males fertilize them. Neither parent provides any parental care.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the Florida Bog Frog as Vulnerable to Extinction. The frog is only found in a small drainage areas in the panhandle of Florida. These areas are threatened by poor watershed management, leading to excessive stream siltation. As well, they are also threatened by fire suppression, leading to oaks trees taking over the bogs they live in.

Frog of the Week

Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis)

Adam
Growling Grass Frog
photo by Tereza T

Common Name: Growling Grass Frog, Southern Bell Frog, Green and Gold Frog, and Warty Swamp Frog
Scientific Name: Litoria raniformis
Family: Hylidae – Tree Frog family
Locations: Australia and Tasmania
Introduced Locations: New Zealand
Size: 4 inches (10 cm)

The Growling Grass Frog lives along marshes, ponds, and dams in southeastern Australia and northern Tasmania. They have been introduced to New Zealand, where they have spread across the island. Due to the frog’s size, they are problematic to the native fauna of New Zealand. The frog gets its name from the growling sounds it makes. The name changes depending on their location, most often being called the Southern Bell Frog.

The males call from spring into summer (August to February) with the peaks from September to December. They hope to attract the females to the ponds. Once a female arrives, the male grasps her from behind in the amplexus position. Then, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. The female frog lay up to 400 eggs. Neither parent provides any care for their offspring. The tadpoles take 3 – 16 months to hatch, depending on location.

photo by Tnarg 12345

Growling Grass Frog Conservation

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the Growling Grass Frog as Endangered. There are numerous reasons for the decline of the frog. Some blame the introduction of non-native fish such as Mosquitofish and carp, that feast upon the frog’s eggs. Another threat to looms over the frogs is Chytrid Fungus, a deadly fungal disease. The disease has been found in populations of the Growling Grass Frog. Lastly, the destruction of the frog’s habitat is another key to their decline. With all these threats and the lack of support from Australia’s government, its hard to see a future for these frogs.

Frog of the Week

Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog (Phyllobates vittatus)

Adam
Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog

Common Name: Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog or Golfo Dulce Poison Dart Frog
Scientific Name: Phyllobates vittatus
Family: Dendrobatidae – Poison Dart Frog family
Locations: Costa Rica
Size: females up to 1.2 inches (31 mm); male up to 1 inches (26 mm)

The Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog lives in the Golfo Dulce region of southwestern Costa Rica. They are a diurnal species of frog, active during the day. Their colors warn predators that the frogs are poisonous. Just like most Poison Dart Frogs, they accumulate their poison from the ants they eat. Therefore, in captivity, the frogs lose their toxins. They are common in the pet trade. If you are thinking about getting a pet frog, make sure to read my article Preparing for a Pet Frog or Toad. Its very informative.

Females are able to lay a clutch of eggs every week or two. The clutches usually contain between 7 to 21 eggs. The female lays her clutches on leaves of plants and the male watches over them. He will even pee on the eggs to keep them from drying out. Once the eggs hatch, the male carries the tadpoles on his back to small ponds for them to develop further.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the Golfodulcean Poison Dart Frog as Vulnerable to Extinction. They live in a small, severly fragmented area. Their habitat area is threatened by deforestation to make room for agriculture and tree plantations. Also, gold mining threatens their water.

Frog of the Week

White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog (Leptodactylus fragilis)

Adam
White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog
photo by Esteban Alzate
leastconcern


Common Name: White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog, Mexican White-Lipped Frog, and American White-Lipped Frog
Scientific Name: Leptodactylus fragilis
Family: Leptodactylidae
Location: United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela
US Locations: Texas
Introduced Locations: Cuba
Size: 1.2 – 2 inches (3 – 5 cm)

The White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog lives in a variety of habitats from savannahs to montane tropical forests. The frogs are often referred to as the Mexican White-Lipped Frog but they are found in a lot more places than just Mexico. Therefore, the name isn’t really fitting imo. The frogs feed on invertebrates such as spiders and beetles, mainly during the night, making them nocturnal.

The White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog breeds in spring following heavy rains. The males dig out a breeding spot under rocks or logs for mating. Next, he calls out for females in hopes of finding a mate. Once he finds the mate, he grasps her from behind in the amplexus position. Then, the male and female create a foamy nest made out of their secretions to house the eggs. The female lays between 20 and 250 egg. Neither parent provides any further care for the offspring. The nest keeps the eggs from drying out until the rains arrive. The rains fill the burrow and break the tadpoles out of the eggs. Then, the tadpoles taken under a month to turn into frogs.

White-lipped Thin-toed Frog Conservation

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the White-lipped Thin-Toed Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a wide range, reaching from the top of Texas down into the northern parts of South America. The frogs are also thought to be abundant throughout the range.

Recently, scientists discovered the frog in Cuba, a place where they are not naturally found. Scientists and conservationists are worried about the effects these frogs can have on the native wildlife and frog populations of Cuba. Researchers believe that the frog can become invasive in Cuba if left unchecked.

Frog of the Week

European Tree Frog (Hyla arborea)

Adam
European Tree Frog
photo by Christian Fischer
least concern

Common Name: European Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla arborea
Family: Hylidae – Tree Frog Family
Location: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
Introduced Location: United Kingdom
Male Size: 1.3–1.7 inches (32 – 43 mm)
Female Size: 1.6 – 2.0 inches (40 – 50 mm)

The European Tree Frog lives throughout most of Europe and down to the northern parts of the Middle East. They prefer to live in broad-leafed and mixed forests, bushlands, meadows, and shrubland. The frogs vary in color from green, gray, brown, and yellowish.

Mating occurs between March and June. First, the males move to ponds, lakes, and other stagnant water bodies and start calling. Once a female arrives, the male grasps her from behind in amplexus. Then, the female lays her eggs and the male fertilizes them. The female lays between 200 – 2000 eggs. Neither parent provides any parental care. The eggs hatch into tadpoles in 10 – 14 days after being laid. Then, the tadpoles usually complete their metamorphosis in 3 months, peaking in July.

European Tree Frog
photo by wikiuser RobertC1301

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes he European Tree Frog as Least Concern for Extinction. They have a wide range and are thought to be abundant throughout it. There are local population declines due to habitat loss from destroying forests to make room for urban development.