We found this Leopard frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus) larvae on our field trip to the Donnelly Wildlife Management Area. It was caught in one of the minnow trips our professor had set in a swampy area off the main road. If I can remember right along with this tadpole there were some fish and crawdads found in the trap with it as well as a few other tadpoles. I didn't get a chance to hold this little guy because I had put on bug spray at the beginning of the field trip. Determining the species of tadpoles can be difficult but we decided that this was most likely a Leopard frog because of the spattering of spots all over the body and tail. We couldn't tell the sex of the larvae but it was about an inch in length not including the tail. This was a really cool find because the tadpole was in the midst of metamorphosing into a juvenile frog. As you can see it had already developed its hind legs and according to my professor it was only a few days from completing its metamorphosis.
Leopard frogs are generally found in freshwater habitats though they have been known to live in brackish waters as well. They can also be found away from the water in the humid summer months to feed. As adults their calls usually sound like a chuckle and a snore. It's composed of a rubbery-sounding squeak followed by a short trill.
Emily Hood (SC)
No comments:
Post a Comment