The Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona) is a species of 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...

 in the Hylidae family.
It is endemic to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.
Its natural habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

s are temperate forest

Forest

A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...

s, river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s, intermittent rivers, swamp

Swamp

A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...

s, freshwater marsh

Marsh

In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....

es, intermittent freshwater marches, freshwater spring

Spring (hydrosphere)

A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...

s, 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, open excavations, and canal

Canal

Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...

s and ditches.
It is threatened by habitat loss.

Physical Characteristics

The Mountain chorus frog is a small 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...

, but an intermediate size for the Genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of Pseudacris. It consists of different shades of grey or brown, including sorghum brown, deep brownish drab, or mars brown. They are stocky in the body and broader in the head, which is very close to the structure and size of Hyla femoralis

Hyla femoralis

Hyla femoralis is a species of frog in the Hylidae family.It is endemic to the United States.Its natural habitats are temperate forests, swamps, intermittent freshwater lakes, and intermittent freshwater marshes.-References:...

 or commonly known as a Pine Woods tree frog

Tree frog

Hylidae is a wide-ranging family of frogs commonly referred to as "tree frogs and their allies". However, the hylids include a diversity of frog species, many of which do not live in trees, but are terrestrial or semi-aquatic.-Characteristics:...

. The adult

Adult

An adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....

 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...

 grows anywhere from 1-1 3/8 inches. The males are usually between 24-32 mm and the females are 27-34 mm. The Mountain Chorus 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...

 has a unique triangle between the eyes and a white line on the upper lip. Something that is unique in the male is that they have a dark throat.

Habitat

The Mountain chorus 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...

 can usually be found on the hillsides of southwestern Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, Western Maryland

Western Maryland

Western Maryland is the portion of the U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. The region is bounded by the Mason-Dixon line to the north, Preston County, West Virginia to the west, and the Potomac River to the south. There is dispute over the...

, Southeastern Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

, eastern Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

, Northern Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, Northern 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...

 and in Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. They like to live on springy hillsides, grassy pools, and ditches. They typically live a distance away from water. The wooded hillsides that the frogs live on are up to 3,500 feet in elevation.

Vocalization

The Mountain Chorus frog has a unique call. It is a faster, higher note

Note

In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....

, and holds a distinct quality and form. The repetitions are quicker and the pitch

Pitch (music)

Pitch is an auditory perceptual property that allows the ordering of sounds on a frequency-related scale.Pitches are compared as "higher" and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies,...

 higher. When a whole chorus of them are heard, you can tell them apart from other groups. The Mountain Chorus Frog's call has a rate of 50 to 70 times a minute and can be continued for several minutes, though they usually stop in fifteen to twenty seconds. This distinct call is rapid and can be heard on a clear night up to a quarter mile away (Wright, 230/231). Their voice has a bit of a nasal quality to it and sounds like a wagon wheel

Wagon Wheel

The Blue and Gold Wagon Wheel, now known simply as the Wagon Wheel, is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the University of Akron and Kent State University....

 turning that needs oil. It is a harsh, raspy "wreeck" or "reek" sound.

Taxonomy

Mountain Chorus frogs are part of the family Hylidae, also known as the tree frogs. Tree frogs are one of the largest families in the Salientia order. Because they are so colorful and have many acrobatic talents, they have been called the "clowns and high-wire artists of the amphibian world. Another impressive talent that the tree frogs inherit, is their beautiful sounds making them excellent vocalists. There are almost 500 species of tree frogs and they are found all over the world. You can find them in tropical regions and all the way to the Canadian woods, and Australia. They are found in places that toads are usually found.

Breeding

The Mountain Chorus Frog breeds in February through April. The female will lay eggs in small, shallow bodies of water which can be in the woods or water ways near the woods. If the frog lives near the base of a hill, it will lay eggs in ditches, pools along streams, or springs. The eggs are laid in groups of 10 to 50. They attach to vegetation and will total about 500 eggs. 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 :...

 stage lasts for about 50 to 56 days. Once the tadpoles reach 8 mm, they will transform into frogs.

Food

Mountain Chorus frogs feed off of invertebrates such as insects because they do not climb much, and if they do it's into the weeds after insects.