Blanchard's cricket frog
| Blanchard's cricket frog | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hylidae |
| Genus: | Acris |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. c. blanchardi
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| Trinomial name | |
| Acris crepitans blanchardi | |
Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi) is a subspecies of northern cricket frog (A. crepitans). It is a small, darkly colored frog. It is seen throughout the Midwestern United States, and although not considered threatened at a federal level, is a threatened or endangered in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It is extirpated from Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada.
As a result of phylogenetic analysis, Blanchard's cricket frog is now sometimes treated as the species Acris blanchardi rather than the subspecies Acris crepitans blanchardi.[2][3]
Description
Blanchard's cricket frogs have warty skin that is usually brown, gray, tan, or olive green, with darker bands of color on the legs. A dark, triangular mark betwein the eyes is frequently seen. They are small, growing to between 0.6 inches (1.5 cm) in length. They generally inhabit slow-moving or stagnant bodies of water, and are the most aquatic of tree frogs in North America. They hibernate during the cold months, emerging in late March or early April and beginning hibernation in late October. Breeding occurs from mid-May to mid-July, and females lay small clusters or single eggs. Tadpoles emerge in late summer. Breeding males have a metallic clicking call distinctive to the species.[4][5] The subspecies is named after Frank N. Blanchard, a noted American herpetologist.[1]
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.[6] 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,[7] 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.[4] A. crepitans, including A. c. blanchardi, is also considered endangered in Minnesota.[8] It may also still be on Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada, but has not been reported since 1987.[9]
References
- ^ a b Beltz, Ellin (2006). "Biographies". Ellin Beltz. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ^ Gamble, Tony; Berendzen, Peter B.; Shaffer, H.Bradley; Starkey, David E.; Simons, Andrew M. (2008). "Species limits and phylogeography of North American cricket frogs (Acris: Hylidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 48 (1). doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.015.
- ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2018). "Amphibian Species of the World 6.0, an Online Reference". American Museum of Natural History.
- ^ a b "Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ^ "Acris crepitans blanchardi". Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ^ "Northern Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans". US Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Blanchard's Cricket Frog". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ^ "Acris crepitans". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ Acris blanchardi Blanchard's Cricket Frog / Rainette Grillon de Blanchard, CARCNET