Pickerel Frog
| Pickerel Frog | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Ranidae |
| Genus: | Rana |
| Species: | R. palustris |
| Binomial name | |
| Rana palustris LeConte, 1825 |
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| Pickerel Frog range | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)[1][2][3] is a small North American frog, characterized by the appearance of seemingly "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface.
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[edit] Distinguishing features
The distinctive rectangular spots of the Pickerel Frog may blend together to form a long rectangle along the back. All leopard frogs have circular spots. In addition, Pickerel Frogs have prominent dorsolateral ridges that are unbroken. Another important distinguishing mark is the orange or yellow flash pattern found on the inner surface of the hind legs of Pickerel Frogs. The frog must be picked up to examine this, as the legs cover the coloration otherwise. The Plains Leopard Frog (Lithobates blairi) exhibits this coloration as well, but the dorsolateral ridges are interrupted and inset medially in that species.
[edit] Range
The Pickerel Frog ranges in the west from much of Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, eastern Iowa, through Missouri and down to eastern Texas. To the east they extend through northern Louisiana, most of Mississippi, northern Alabama, Georgia (U.S. state), and South Carolina to the coast. Their northern range extends into Canada in the southern reaches of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The range is spotty through the midwestern states and a field guide should be obtained for the specifics on ranges in a particular area.
[edit] Other
The skin secretions of a stressed Pickerel Frog are known to be toxic to other frogs, as many a novice frog catcher has found when he finds only the Pickerel Frog still alive in his bucket. These secretions can also be moderately irritating if they come in contact with the eyes, mucous membranes, or broken skin. It is advisable to wash one's hands after handling Pickerel Frogs.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- Arnold, K. 2000. "Rana palustris" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 25, 2007 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Rana_palustris.html.
- Hillis, D.M. & Wilcox, T.P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PMID 15619443 PDF fulltext.
- Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338.
- Hammerson (2004). Rana palustris. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is of least concern
- Pauly, Greg B., Hillis, David M. & Cannatella, David C. (2009): Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. Herpetologica 65: 115-128. PDF fulltext
- Redmer, M. and Mierzwa, K.S. (1994). "A review of the distribution and zoogeography of the pickerel frog, Rana palustris, in northern Illinois". Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 29: 21–30.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rana palustris |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Rana palustris |
- Comparison of pickerel frog vs. leopard frog species (Archive of image)
- Species information from the USGS.
- Very detailed biology of the pickerel frog on The Frogs & Toads of Georgia.
- Pickerel Frog, Natural Resources Canada
