Blanchard's cricket frog

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Blanchard's cricket frog
Acris crepitans blanchardi.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Hylidae
Genus: Acris
Species:
A. blanchardi
Binomial name
Acris blanchardi
Harper, 1947 [1]
Synonyms
  • Acris crepitans blanchardi

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.

Contents

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.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frog</span> Order of amphibians

A frog is any member of a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. The oldest fossil "proto-frog" Triadobatrachus is known from the Early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests their split from other amphibians may extend further back to the Permian, 265 million years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is in tropical rainforest. Frogs account for around 88% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrate orders. Warty frog species tend to be called toads, but the distinction between frogs and toads is informal, not from taxonomy or evolutionary history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American bullfrog</span> Species of amphibian

The American bullfrog, often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, ponds, and lakes. Bullfrogs can also be found in manmade habitats such as pools, koi ponds, canals, ditches and culverts. The bullfrog gets its name from the sound the male makes during the breeding season, which sounds similar to a bull bellowing. The bullfrog is large and is commonly eaten throughout its range, especially in the southern United States where they are plentiful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cricket frog</span> Genus of North American amphibians

Cricket frogs, genus Acris, are small, North American frogs of the family Hylidae. They occur in northern Mexico (Coahuila), the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and in southern Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded bullfrog</span> Species of frog

The banded bullfrog is a species of frog in the narrow-mouthed frog family Microhylidae. Native to Southeast Asia, it is also known as the Asian painted frog, digging frog, Malaysian bullfrog, common Asian frog, and painted balloon frog. In the pet trade, it is sometimes called the chubby frog. Adults measure 5.4 to 7.5 cm and have a dark brown back with stripes that vary from copper-brown to salmon pink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern cricket frog</span> Species of amphibian

The northern cricket frog is a species of small hylid frog native to the United States and northeastern Mexico. These frogs are majorly in grey, green, and brown color with blotching patterns. Many have a brown or orange stripe down the center of their back and a triangular marking on the top of their head. Despite being members of the tree frog family, they are not arboreal. These frogs prefer habitats near the edges of slow-moving bodies of water, and in close proximity to shelter items, like rocks. It has two recognized subspecies, A. c. crepitans and A. c. paludicola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern cricket frog</span> Species of amphibian

The southern cricket frog or southeastern cricket frog is a small hylid frog native to the Southeastern United States. It is very similar in appearance and habits to the northern cricket frog, Acris crepitans, and was considered formerly conspecific. The scientific name Acris is from the Greek word for locust, and the species name gryllus is Latin for cricket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western chorus frog</span> Species of amphibian

The western chorus frog, also known as striped chorus frog, or midland chorus frog is a species of frog found in Canada and the United States.

Frank Nelson Blanchard was an American herpetologist, and professor of zoology at the University of Michigan from which institution he received his Ph.D. He is credited with describing several new subspecies, including the broad-banded water snake, Nerodia fasciata confluens, and the Florida king snake, Lampropeltis getula floridana. As well, he has been honored by having reptiles and amphibians named after him, including the western smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi, and Blanchard's cricket frog, Acris crepitans blanchardi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon spotted frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Oregon spotted frog is a member of the frog family Ranidae of order Anura. It is a medium-sized aquatic frog endemic to the Pacific Northwest and historically well distributed in the Puget Trough/Willamette Valley province and the Cascade Mountains of south-central Washington and Oregon. It is relatively rare within its range and is listed globally as vulnerable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emerald-eyed tree frog</span> Species of amphibian

The emerald-eyed tree frog is a species of frog in the family Hylidae. It is largely restricted to the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil. Some populations previously regarded as Boana crepitans have been separated into the species Boana xerophylla and Boana platanera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African bullfrog</span> Species of frog

The African bullfrog, also known as the Giant bullfrog or the South African burrowing frog, is a species of frog in the family Pyxicephalidae. It is also known as the pixie frog due to its scientific name. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has been extirpated from Eswatini. It has long been confused with the edible bullfrog, and species boundaries between them, including exact range limits, are not fully understood. Additionally, P. angusticeps of coastal East Africa only was revalidated as a separate species in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mississippi gopher frog</span> Species of amphibian

The Mississippi gopher frog, also known commonly as the dark gopher frog, the dusky gopher frog, and the St. Tammany gopher frog, is a critically endangered species of frog in the family Ranidae. The species is endemic to the southern United States. Its natural habitats are temperate coastal forests and intermittent freshwater marshes. This secretive frog is on average 3 in (8 cm) long, with a dark brown or black dorsal surface covered in warts. It is a federally listed endangered species of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpenter frog</span> Species of amphibian

The carpenter frog is a species of true frog found on coastal plain of the Atlantic coast of the United States between central New Jersey and northeastern Florida.

<i>Lithobates clamitans</i> Species of amphibian

Lithobates clamitans or Rana clamitans, commonly known as the green frog, is a species of frog native to eastern North America. The two subspecies are the bronze frog and the northern green frog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenmere Lake</span>

Glenmere Lake is a colonial mill pond or reservoir located in Orange County, New York, United States. It is New York State's largest habitat of the Northern cricket frog, listed as endangered by in New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acrisinae</span> Subfamily of amphibians

Acrisinae is a subfamily of the tree frog family Hylidae. There are only two genera in this subfamily, Acris and Pseudacris. They are native to most of the Nearctic realm, and are found as far north as the Great Slave Lake in Canada, all across the United States, and down Baja California and some parts of northern Mexico. One species, the pacific tree frog, has been introduced to several locations outside its range, and it is possible that other species may have been as well.

References

  1. 1 2 Beltz, Ellin (2006). "Biographies". Ellin Beltz. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  2. Cusaac, J. Patrick (December 2015). "Acute toxicity of Headline fungicide to Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi)". Ecotoxicology. 25 (3): 447–455. doi:10.1007/s10646-015-1602-x. PMID   26707241. S2CID   24962706.
  3. 1 2 Youngquist, Melissa (August 2015). "Competitive Interactions between Cricket Frogs (Acris blanchardi) and Other Anurans". The Herpetologists' League. 71 (4): 260. doi:10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-14-00049. S2CID   85672690.
  4. 1 2 Krynak, Katherine (January 2016). "Landscape and water characteristics correlate with immune defense traits across Blanchard's cricket frog (Acris blanchardi) populations". Biological Conservation. 193: 153–167. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.11.019.
  5. 1 2 "Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardi)". Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  6. "Acris crepitans blanchardi". Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  7. Crawford, John (December 2017). "Chytrid Infection Dynamics in Cricket Frogs on Military and Public Lands in the Midwestern United States". Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management. 8 (2): 344–352. doi: 10.3996/012017-JFWM-003 .
  8. Hoskins, Tyler D.; Boone, Michelle D. (2017-01-20). "Variation in malathion sensitivity among populations of Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris blanchardi) and implications for risk assessment". Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 36 (7): 1917–1923. doi:10.1002/etc.3715. ISSN   0730-7268. PMID   27982495. S2CID   4389469.
  9. "Northern Cricket Frog, Acris crepitans". US Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2012-05-27. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  10. "Blanchard's Cricket Frog". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  11. "Acris crepitans". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  12. Acris blanchardi Blanchard's Cricket Frog / Rainette Grillon de Blanchard, CARCNET