By: Virginia VassalottiBy: Virginia VassalottiChesapeake Conservation Corps Intern,Chesapeake Conservation Corps Intern,

Montgomery County Department of Environmental Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectionProtection

Nationwide program run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)

Volunteers identify frog and toad species calls at night

For more information visit: www.mygreenmontgomery.org/frogwatch or

www.frogwatch.org

Ribbit, Ribbit

Sue Muller, Howard County FrogWatch Chapter Coordinator

© Jim Harding, MSU

Learn more about wetlands and species that live in them!

Help conserve local amphibians!

Role in food web Bioindicators – sensitive to the environment1. Exposed to air

(adult) and water toxins (larval tadpole)

2. Semi-permeable skin

© www.berkley.edu© www.berkley.edu

© Donna L. Watkins© Donna L. Watkins

Tadpoles feed on algae; fed on by fish and birds

Frogs feed on insects;

fed on by fish, birds

1) Spring Peeper2) Wood Frog3) Upland Chorus

Frog4) Pickerel Frog5) Southern Leopard

Frog6) American Toad7) American Bullfrog

7) Fowler’s Toad8) Northern Green

Frog9) Gray Treefrog10) Cope’s Gray

Treefrog11) Northern Cricket

Frog

Species FebMarch April May June July Aug

Wood Frog x xSpring Peeper x xUpland Chorus Frog x x xPickerel Frog x xSouthern Leopard Frog x x x xAmerican Toad x x x x x

American Bullfrogx

(late) x x x

Fowler's Toadx

(late) x x x

Northern Green Frogx

(late) x x xGray Treefrog x x xCope's Gray Treefrog x x xNorthern Cricket Frog x x x x

Note: calling dates differ year to year. 2013-2014 was a cold winter. Species began calling later!

Able to thaw out from freezing solid!

Only frog found in Arctic Circle

Short, raspy quacks

© Jim Harding, MSU© Jim Harding, MSU

Sound of spring! “Peep, peep, peep”

© Jim Harding, MSU© Jim Harding, MSU

Easy to hear, hard to find!

Smallest frog in the County (¾”-1 ¼”)

X on back – latin Pseudacris crucifer

“Crrreek” Sounds like a

finger running over the teeth of a comb

Prefers slow or non-moving waters

© John White© John White

Steady, snore-like croak. May last up to 2 seconds

More common than the Southern Leopard Frog

Found near streams

Pickerel FrogPickerel Frog Southern Leopard FrogSouthern Leopard Frog

Spots in rows down backYellow

underside

White spot on tympanum or “ear”

Series of short, throaty, chuckle-like croaks

More commonly found on the coastal plain (farther east)

Not common in the County

White spot on the tympanum or ear

Musical trill lasting 5-30 seconds

Simultaneous whistle and hum

© Jim Harding, MSU© Jim Harding, MSU

1-2 warts per dark spot

Can be found anywhere – yards, fields, forests

1-4 second “wraaaah”

3 or more warts per dark spot

More commonly found on coastal plain in sandy areas

“Twang” of a banjo string

Tadpoles over-winter and metamorphose next year

Dorsolateral ridge

Similar in appearance to American Bullfrog – smaller in size

Deep-pitched “jug-o-rum” Largest frog in Montgomery County 2-3 year tadpole stage

Similar in appearance to Green Frog - no dorsolateral ridge

Resonating trill, slower than Cope’s Gray Treefrog

Extra set of chromosomes (48 total)

Raspy resonating trill, faster and less musical than the Gray Treefrog

24 chromosomes

Visually indistinguishable

Differentiate by call or chromosome count

Gray TreefrogGray Treefrog Cope’s Gray TreefrogCope’s Gray Treefrog

© Jim Harding, MSU© Jim Harding, MSU

Sounds like two glass marbles being tapped together

Or shaking of a spray paint can

© Jim Harding, MSU

© Jim Harding, MSU

Small treefrog that does not climb

Highly variable in color

Powerpoint: www.slideshare.net/frogwatch

Montgomery County FrogWatch: www.mygreenmontgomery.org/frogwatch

Frogs and Toads in Montgomery County: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep/water/frogs

-and-toads.html

Frog and Toad Calls CD: Cornell Lab of Ornithology “Voices of the Night: The Calls of the Frogs and Toads of Eastern North America”

Questions? Email: DEP.FrogWatch@montgomerycountymd.gov