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Boreal Chorus Frog

Boreal Chorus Frog

Boreal chorus frog on pond's edge.
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Boreal Chorus Frog

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Boreal chorus frog
Pseudacris maculata
Family: 
Hylidae (treefrogs and allies) in the order Anura
Description: 

This small frog--formerly called the western chorus frog in our state--may be gray or tan; has three wide, dark stripes or a series of spots down the back; and a wide, dark stripe passing through the eyes and extending along the sides. There is usually a dark marking on the head between the eyes, and the upper lip is white. The belly is white, sometimes with a few gray spots on the throat and chest. Breeding males have dark throats. The call is a rasping, vibrating “prrreeep” that sounds similar to running a fingernail over the teeth of a pocket comb.

Size: 
Length: 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches.
Habitat and conservation: 
This frog is most abundant in prairies but also occurs on agricultural lands, in large river floodplains and the grassy edges of marshes. After breeding season, they take shelter in animals burrows; under boards, logs or rocks; in clumps of grass; or in loose soil. Breeding sites are usually in flooded fields, ditches, woodland ponds, marshes and river sloughs as well as farm ponds. This is often the first frog to become active in the spring.
Foods: 
Boreal chorus frogs eat a variety of small insects and spiders.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Statewide, except in southeastern Missouri, where it hybridizes with and also is replaced by the upland chorus frog.
Status: 
Common. Our species was long considered the "western chorus frog," Pseudacris triseriata, but scientists now recognize it as a different species, the boreal chorus frog. Our frogs haven't changed--only their name.
Life cycle: 
Breeding begins in late February or early March and peaks in April. Males chorus in temporary bodies of water and in fishless farm ponds. The male fertilizes the eggs as the female lays and attaches them to submerged grasses just below the surface, in clusters of 5–300. These hatch within a week, depending on water temperature. Metamorphosis occurs in 6–8 weeks. This species overwinters in the ground and does not burrow very deep. A natural “antifreeze” in their blood keeps them from freezing.
Human connections: 
These frogs help control populations of sometimes-troublesome insects; also, because they are sensitive to pollutants, they are considered an “indicator species” whose health can be a way to gauge the health of their ecosystem.
Ecosystem connections: 
These small frogs prey on numerous insects and spiders, helping to control their populations, but they also fall prey to many larger predators at each stage of their life cycle.

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