Boreal Chorus Frog

Pseudacris maculata

Today's animal is an itty bitty little Frog that is more often heard rather than seen. They are called Boreal Chorus Frogs, and they are one of the first Amphibians to emerge after the winter season, making lots of sounds as they do so!

Boreal Chorus Frogs only grow to about 3cm in length. They are typically brown in color, though some trend towards green. The darkness also varies. They all have dark facial stripes though, one of each side of the head that runs from the nose across the eye.

Boreal Chorus Frogs are found in North America, primarily in the middle-northern parts of the Continent, though they are also found in a few places of the American Southwest. They live in grasses near permanent bodies of water.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Length around 3cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Hylidae -- Genus : Pseudacris -- Species : P. maculata
Image :  USEMC

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Dyeing Dart Frog

Dendrobates tinctorius

Meet one of the largest species of Dart Frog, the Dyeing Dart. These guys can grow 2in long, which is pretty big for a member of their family.

Dyeing Darts come in many, many colors. Yellow is depicted in this entry, but you'll also see them in blues and greens as well.

In the wild, these Frogs are found in the rainforests of South America. Like all members of the Dart Frog group, they are toxic... though only mildly so. They secrete toxins through their skin which cause pain and stiffness, and the strength of the toxin can depend on the specific color morph.

One really bizarre fact is that members of indigenous tribes will capture young parrots and rub there frogs on the parrot's skin. When feather grow at that point they will be a different color than feathers elsewhere!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to 2in (6cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Dendrobatidae -- Genus : Dendrobates -- Species : D. tinctorius
Image : Olei

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Giant Banjo Frog

Limnodynastes interioris

The Giant Banjo Frog, also known as the Great Bullfrog, is an amphibian found in Southern Australia. At a body length of around 9cm, it is the largest Frog in Victoria.

As adults, Giant Banjo Frogs spend most of their time in underground burrows that they dig, keeping themselves moist by absorbing water from the soil around them. They typically are only seen at the surface after it rains, which is when they spawn and hunt for food. During the wet season, the male Frogs will make fast, low pitched calls in order to attract mates.

The Giant Banjo Frogs do their spawning in smaller, slower moving bodies of water like ponds and marshes. They will even lay them in flooded burrows! As Tadpoles they stay in those still or slow-moving zones, maturing slowly before metamorphosing and reaching sexual maturity around 2-3 years of age.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 3.5in (9cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Limnodynastes -- Species : L. interioris
Images : Victoria Dept. of Environment

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