Northern Cricket Frog
Family:
Hylidae (treefrogs and allies) in the order Anura
Description:
We used to know this as Blanchard's cricket frog. The color is quite variable; gray, tan, greenish-tan or brown. The back may have a irregular green, yellow, orange or brown stripe. There is always a dark triangle between the eyes, a series of light and dark bars on the upper jaw and an irregular black or brown stripe along the inside of each thigh. The belly is white. The feet are strongly webbed but adhesive pads on fingers and toes are poorly developed. The call is a metallic “gick, gick, gick.”
Size:
Length: 5/8 to 1 1/2 inches.
Habitat and conservation:
Commonly seen along the edges of ponds, streams and rivers, especially on open areas of mud flats and gravel bars. Recent surveys indicate that this species is gone or nearly gone from Wisconsin, northern Illinois and Indiana, but the cause of this decline has not been determined. Missouri populations need to be monitored.
Foods:
A variety of small terrestrial insects are eaten.
Distribution in Missouri:
Statewide.
Status:
Common, but populations bear monitoring due to serious declines in other states. The subspecies formerly called Blanchard's cricket frog is no longer recognized.
Life cycle:
In Missouri they are active from late March to early November; breeding is from late April to mid-July in shallows of ponds and backwaters with an abundance of aquatic plants. Warm temperatures stimulate males to chorus; both calling and non-calling males can be successful breeders. A female may lay up to 400 eggs, either singly or in small packets of up to 7, which are attached to submerged vegetation. Eggs hatch in a few days, and tadpoles begin metamorphosis 5–10 weeks later.
Human connections:
The calls of this species—which resemble the sound of small pebbles being rapidly struck together—add music day and night to Missouri’s outdoors. And like other frogs, northern cricket frogs prey on numerous insects that humans consider pests.
Ecosystem connections:
Numerous predators eat the eggs, tadpoles and adults of this species. Tadpoles have black-tipped tails that entice predators to aim for the tail tip as opposed to the tadpole’s head. Adults avoid predators by a series of quick, erratic hops. MDC's Mission, Vision, Priorities
MDC protects and manages Missouri's fish, forest, and wildlife resources.
We also facilitate your participation in resource-management activities, and we provide opportunities for you to use, enjoy and learn about nature.
Shortened URL
http://mdc.mo.gov/node/2909
