Description
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Acris blanchardi is a small (1.6-3.8 cm), moist-skinned hylid frog. Hind limbs are long relative to the body. The dorsal surface is warty while ventral skin is granular. Dorsal coloration is variable but typically gray or brown. Pattern can be variable but most individuals have a dark triangle, pointed posteriorly, on the head, between the eyes. Many individuals possess a tan, brown, red, or green medial stripe. The upper jaw has a series of vertical, dark bars. Most individuals possess a ragged, dark stripe on the thigh. The subgular vocal sac becomes darker, occasionally tinged with yellow, during the breeding season. Hind toes are extensively webbed with poorly-developed toe pads (Collins 1993; Conant and Collins 1991; Trauth et al. 2004; Vogt 1981).Tadpoles are elongate with narrow caudal fins. Eyes are positioned laterally. Acris blanchardi tadpoles typically possess a distinctive black tail-tip, which is thought to direct predators, such as dragonfly larvae, away from the body. The black tail tip is not present in all populations and tadpoles developing in streams with fish tend to have light tail tips (Caldwell 1982; Vogt 1981).Acris blanchardi was formerly considered a subspecies of Acris crepitans. Phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear genes suggest that A. blanchardi is a distinct species (Gamble et al. 2008). The subspecies Acris crepitans paludicola, which occupies a limited area along the Gulf Coast from Houston, Texas to central Louisiana, is phylogenetically allied with A. blanchardi but its distinct behavior and coloration may still warrant separate taxonomic status (Rose et al. 2006). To hear a call for this species, click on the Fonozoo link at the top of this page.
- Baker, R. J. (1997). ''Revising Minnesota's list of endangered and threatened species: amphibians and reptiles.'' Amphibians and Reptiles, Their Conservation and Status: Proceedings of a Symposium. J. J. Moriarty and D. Jones, eds., Serpent's Tale, Lanesboro.
- Caldwell, J. P. (1982). ''Disruptive selection: a tail color polymorphism in Acris tadpoles in response to differential predation.'' Canadian Journal of Zoology, 60, 2818-2827.
- Gamble, T., Berendzen, P. B., Shaffer, H. B., Starkey, D. E., and Simons, A. M. (2008). ''Species limits and phylogeography of North American cricket frogs (Acris: Hylidae).'' Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 48, 112-125.
- Gray, R. H., and Brown, L. E. (2005). ''Decline of Northern Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans).'' Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. M. J. Lannoo, eds., University of California Press, Berkeley.
- Hammerson, G. A., and Livo, L. J. (1999). ''Conservation status of the Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) in Colorado and adjacent areas at the northwestern extent of the range.'' Herpetological Review, 30, 78-80.
- Harper, F. (1947). ''A new cricket frog (Acris) from the middle western states.'' Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 60, 39-40.
- Hay, R. (1998). ''Blanchard's cricket frogs in Wisconsin: a status report.'' Status and Conservation of Midwestern Amphibians. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.
- Irwin, J. T. (2005). ''Overwintering in Northern Cricket Frogs (Acris crepitans).'' Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, Berkeley.
- Lannoo, M. J. (1998). ''Amphibian conservation and wetland management in the upper Midwest: a catch-22 for the cricket frog?'' Status and Conservation of Midwestern Amphibians M. J. Lannoo, eds., University of Iowa Press, Iowa City.
- Reeder, A. L., Ruiz, M. O., Pessier, A., Brown, L. E., Levengood, J. M., Phillips, C. A., Wheeler, M. B., Warner, R. E., and Beasley, V. R. (2005). ''Intersexuality and the cricket frog decline: historic and geographic trends.'' Environmental Health Perspectives, 113, 261-265.
- Rose, F. L., Simpson, T. R., Forstner, M. R. J., McHenry, D. J., and Williams, J. (2006). ''Taxonomic status of Acris gryllus paludicola: in search of the pink frog.'' Journal of Herpetology, 40, 428.
Distribution and Habitat
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Blanchard’s cricket frog (A. blanchardi) is widely distributed north of the Ohio River and, in the southern U.S., west of the Mississippi River. Several populations in western Mississippi and one population in northern Kentucky appear on the southeastern side of this tentative boundary. Acris blanchardi occurs in the following U.S. states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin (Conant and Collins 1991; Gamble et al. 2008).
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Males call from February to July in Texas (Wright and Wright, 1949), late April to mid-July in Missouri and Kansas (Collins 1993; Johnson 2000), from late May through July in Wisconsin (Vogt 1981). The call is a metallic “gick, gick, gick” and sounds like two stones being struck together (Trauth et al. 2004). Male frogs will often call during the day.Acris blanchardi is typically the most abundant frog throughout its range although populations are declining across the northern and western portions of their range (see Trends and Threats).
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Acris blanchardi has declined dramatically in the northern and western part of its range (Baker 1997; Gray and Brown 2005; Hammerson and Livo 1999; Hay 1998; Lannoo 1998; Lehtinen and Skinner 2006). This phenomenon first came to light in the 1970s, and has continued to the present (Hay 1998; Lehtinen, 2002; Vogt, 1981). Possible causes for decline include climate change (Hay 1998; Irwin 2005), habitat alteration (Lannoo 1998), pollution (Reeder et al. 2005), and habitat fragmentation (Hay 1998).
Relation to Humans
provided by AmphibiaWeb articles
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) is named in honor of herpetologist Frank Nelson Blanchard (1888-1937; Harper 1947).
Blanchard's cricket frog
provided by wikipedia EN
Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is a small, dark colored frog that is threatened or endangered in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Studies have been done to see why the population of the frog is beginning to decrease in those states. Blanchard's cricket frogs are commonly found in wetlands, ponds, and/or near row crop agriculture.[2] The average life span for this frog is about one year, which is why the species is considered to be short-lived. Little is known about the interactions and basic ecology, even though populations are decreasing.[3] Blanchard's cricket frog was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the northern cricket frog.
Description
Blanchard's cricket frogs are a type of aquatic tree frogs in North America. They have warty skin that is usually brown, gray, tan, or olive green, with darker bands of color on the legs. Their skin is also heavily vascularized, which allows substances to get into their bodies quickly, increasing their susceptibility to diseases.[4] Due to this, handling with bare hands is unadvised. A dark, triangular mark between the eyes is frequently seen, and can be used to easily identify the species. Many different colors can be seen on certain specimen's backs, usually being either a dark red, orange, light green, or in rarer cases, a combination. They are small frogs, growing to 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) in length on average.
Blanchard's cricket frogs hibernate during the cold months, beginning in late October, and emerging from hibernation in late March or early April. Breeding occurs from mid-May to mid-July. Females lay small clusters or single eggs. Tadpoles emerge in late summer. Breeding males have a metallic clicking call distinctive to the species.[5][6] The subspecies is named after Frank N. Blanchard, a noted American herpetologist.[1] The frogs are most commonly found in slow-moving or stagnant bodies of water, such as in streams and wetlands, where reproduction takes place.[7] Only a few survive until the second breeding season. If a breeding season isn't productive, the population for that area can decline.[8]
Conservation
Blanchard's cricket frogs can be found through most of the Midwest United States, ranging from Michigan and Wisconsin in the north to southern Texas in the south and from Colorado in the west to West Virginia in the east.[9] Although not listed at the federal level, Blanchard's cricket frogs are considered at risk in some states. It is an endangered species in Wisconsin,[10] and is a threatened species in Michigan, due to a significant population decline since the late 1970s. Habitat loss, chemical contaminants, and competition for resources have been posited as reasons for this decline. Populations can still be found in the southern and western portions of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.[5]
In Minnesota, where the state's Department of Natural Resources includes A. blanchardi as a subspecies of A. crepitans, both taxa are collectively considered endangered.[11] A. blanchardi may also still be on Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada, but has not been reported since 1987.[12] It was thought that competition by Bullfrogs caused a decrease in the population of Blanchard's cricket frog, however, a study found no evidence that Bullfrog tadpoles took enough resources from Blanchard's cricket frog tadpoles to impact them.[3] Another study of the immune defense traits of Blanchard's cricket frog showed that multiple factors can influence the immune system of the frog, for example water conductivity, water surface area, and ratio of natural to managed land. All of these factors were found to influence the skin microbiome of the frog, and compromise the frog's immune system.[4] While some decreases in population are due to chemical contaminants and competition for resources, the major reason for the decrease is still unknown.
Gallery
A Blanchard's cricket frog with a red-orange-green back stripe
A Blanchard's cricket frog with light patterns
Two Blanchard's cricket frogs, both with prominent red stripes
A patternless Blanchard's cricket frog
A Blanchard's cricket frog with abnormal green patterns/moss
A Blanchard's cricket frog
References
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
Blanchard's cricket frog: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is a small, dark colored frog that is threatened or endangered in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Studies have been done to see why the population of the frog is beginning to decrease in those states. Blanchard's cricket frogs are commonly found in wetlands, ponds, and/or near row crop agriculture. The average life span for this frog is about one year, which is why the species is considered to be short-lived. Little is known about the interactions and basic ecology, even though populations are decreasing. Blanchard's cricket frog was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the northern cricket frog.
- license
- cc-by-sa-3.0
- copyright
- Wikipedia authors and editors
