Crawfish Frog
Encyclopedia
The Crawfish Frog 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, in its northern ranges as Hoosier Frog, and in its southern ranges as the Texas Frog. The name "Gopher Frog
" is sometimes misapplied to this species.
on either side of their back, which are much more pronounced in males than females, and a relatively small tympanum
.
, generally inhabiting open areas near permanent or ephemeral
pond
s. Unlike other species of frog commonly found in their range, such as Leopard frogs (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) and Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), outside of the breeding season, they are not often found sitting on the edge of the water, but instead prefer to make use of terrestrial crayfish burrows, 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 arthropod
s, and even other frogs.
Breeding occurs from late winter through mid-spring, depending on local conditions, with the females laying up to 7,000 eggs
. The eggs hatch in approximately 12 days, and the tadpole
s can take upwards of two years to morph into frogs.
west to Nebraska
, south to Texas
and east to Mississippi
, though it is believed to be extirpated
from much of its northern range.
of Rana areolata:
by the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species, and is listed as endangered
in the state of Iowa
and Indiana.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of aquatic frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
native to the central United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It gets its name because crayfish
Crayfish
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related...
are its primary diet
Diet (nutrition)
In nutrition, diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. With the word diet, it is often implied the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight-management...
, and it inhabits crayfish burrows. It is also known as the Ringed Frog, in its northern ranges as Hoosier Frog, and in its southern ranges as the Texas Frog. The name "Gopher Frog
Gopher Frog
The Gopher Frog is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is endemic to the Southeastern United States. It primarily inhabits the threatened sandhill communities, flatwoods, and scrub in the Atlantic coastal plain, where it is usually found near ponds.-Subspecies:Its two subspecies include...
" is sometimes misapplied to this species.
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 has a light colored ring around it. They have a distinct skin foldSkin fold
Skin folds are areas of skin where it folds. Many skin folds are distinct, heritable anatomical features, and may be used for identification of animal species, while others are non-specific and may be produced either by individual development of an organism or by arbitrary application of force to...
on either side of their back, which are much more pronounced in males than females, and a relatively small tympanum
Tympanum (zoology)
The tympanum is an external hearing structure in animals such as frogs, toads, insects, and mammals, to name a few.-Anurans:In frogs and toads, it is located just behind the eye. It does not actually process sound waves; it simply transmits them to the amphibian's inner ear, which is protected...
.
Behavior
Crawfish Frogs are nocturnalNocturnal animal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal"....
, generally inhabiting open areas near permanent or ephemeral
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s. Unlike other species of frog commonly found in their range, such as Leopard frogs (Rana blairi and Rana sphenocephala) and Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), outside of the breeding season, they are not often found sitting on the edge of the water, but instead prefer to make use of terrestrial crayfish burrows, 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 arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s, and even other frogs.
Breeding occurs from late winter through mid-spring, depending on local conditions, with the females laying up to 7,000 eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
. The eggs hatch in approximately 12 days, and the tadpole
Tadpole
A tadpole or polliwog is the wholly aquatic larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian, particularly that of a frog or toad.- Appellation :...
s can take upwards of two years to morph into frogs.
Geographic range
The Crawfish Frog is found from the states of IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
west to Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, south to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and east to Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, though it is believed to be extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
from much of its northern range.
Subspecies
There are four subspeciesSubspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of Rana areolata:
- Florida Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata aesopus
- Southern Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata areolata (BairdSpencer Fullerton BairdSpencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
& GirardCharles Frédéric GirardCharles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
, 1852) - Carolina Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata capito
- Northern Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata circulosa (Davis and Rice, 1883)
- Dusky Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata sevosa
Conservation status
The Crawfish Frog is listed as near threatenedThreatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
by the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species, and is listed as endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
and Indiana.
External links
- Rana areolata at CalPhotos