Crawfish frog
| Crawfish Frog | |
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| Species: | R. areolata
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| Binomial name | |
| Rana areolata | |
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Rana areolata areolata | |
The Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata[1][2][3]) is a species of aquatic frog native to the central United States. It gets its name because crayfish are its primary diet, and it inhabits crayfish burrows. It is also known as the Ringed Frog, the Gopher Frog, in its northern ranges, the Hoosier Frog, and in its southern ranges, the Texas Frog.
Description
The Crawfish Frog grows from 2.2 to 3 inches (5.6 to 7.6 cm) in length. It ranges from yellow to brown in color, with a white ventral surface. There are numerous dark brown spots on its back that each have a light colored ring around them. They have a distinct skin fold on either side of their back, which are much more pronounced in males than females, and a relatively small tympanum.the crayfish frog eats plants
Behavior
Crawfish Frogs are nocturnal, and mostly aquatic, inhabiting streams, creeks, and ponds that have muddy bottoms. Unlike other species of frog commonly found in their range, such as Leopard frogs (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) or Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), they are not often found sitting on the edge of the water, but instead prefer to make use of crayfish burrows in the mud, often sharing them with another Crawfish Frog. Their primary diet is crayfish, but they will also consume almost anything else small enough for them to overpower, including various arthropods, and even other frogs.
Mating occurs in the spring, with the females laying up to 7,000 eggs. The eggs hatch in approximately 12 days, and the tadpoles can take upwards of two years to morph into frogs.
Geographic range
The Crawfish Frog is found from the states of Indiana west to Nebraska, south to Texas and east to Mississippi, though it is believed to be extirpated from much of its northern range.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies of Rana areolata, divided by geographic range:
- Southern Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata areolata (Baird & Girard, 1852)
- Northern Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata circulosa (Davis and Rice, 1883)
Conservation status
The Crawfish Frog is listed as near threatened by the IUCN Red List of Threatned Species, and is listed as endangered in the state of Iowa.
Footnotes
- ^ Hillis, D. M. 2007. Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42:331-338.
- ^ Frost, Darrel R. 2006. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 4 (17 August 2006). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
- ^ Frost, D. R., et al. 2006. The amphibian tree of life. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Number 297. New York. Issued March 15, 2006.
References
- Hillis, D.M., Frost, J.S.,& Wright, D.A. (1983): Phylogeny and biogeography of the Rana pipiens complex: A biochemical evaluation. Systematic Zoology' 32: 132-143.
- Hillis, D.M. (1988): Systematics of the Rana pipiens complex: Puzzle and paradigm. Annual Review of Systematics and Ecology 19: 39-63.
- 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 PDF fulltext.
- Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338.
- Iowa Herpetology: Crawfish Frog
- Amphibian Species of the World: Rana areolata
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Rana areolata
