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Contemporary Herpetology Information Series 1998 Number 2 24 September 1998 18:00 GMT -- 12:00 CST
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ISSN 1097-7112 |
A KEY TO THE ANURAN TADPOLES
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Keys are written with the goal of providing accurate identifications with a minimum of effort. A truly dichotomous strategy (i.e., one that divides the original and subsequent sets of taxa into equal units) is the most efficient (shortest number of steps) approach. Unfortunately, the distribution of useful characters among taxa rarely allows realization of this method. Instead, authors usually present a choice between two alternatives, each defined by one or more characters. This often results in long keys that are cumbersome to use, not especially enlightening, and frequently mask relationships (similar appearing forms come out together but closely related ones may not). Except for those distinctive forms that are separated early in the identification process, a user often has little assurance of being on the right track, and, if the trail reaches an obviously incorrect endpoint, frequently one has no idea which choice led to the wrong conclusion. Such keys are poor pedagogical tools because they fail to show patterns of character distributions among forms and can result in closely-related taxa being widely separated in the key.
Anuran larvae have little in common with their much larger, better known adults. Although tadpoles typically are in specific aquatic habitats for longer periods than their adults, they sometimes are more difficult to find and nearly always more difficult to identify. Most tadpoles are drab in coloration and pattern and even distantly-related species have very similar appearing tadpoles. Even though the tadpoles of many North American frogs superficially appear very similar (How often have you heard: "It's a tadpole but who knows which species?"), they have certain morphological traits that can be used to distinguish among species. We believe that with some practice an assiduous, inquisitive naturalist can learn to differentiate among most forms. To encourage more interest in tadpole biology, we offer this key to the larvae of taxa found in the United States and Canada and are convinced that it will afford the interested person the opportunity to identify tadpoles from their area. We are hopeful that this key also will increase the inclusion of tadpoles in inventory and monitoring projects.
Those who are not familiar with the general morphology of tadpoles should first familiarize themselves with the information in the TUTORIAL. This material, or any other division of the key can be reached by clicking on the preferred topic in the menu at the start of each Division. To be most successful at using this key, one must have a live or well-preserved tadpole and data on locality and ecological setting. A knowledge of local seasons relative to temperature and rain patterns is helpful in some cases.
The first of six self-contained Divisions allows one to key specimens to family, and families with single representatives in this key end here. Larger families continue in separate Divisions. One can work through the key from the beginning, or if the family of the tadpole at hand is known, one can go directly to that family by clicking the family name in the menu at the start of each Division. Sections within Divisions include all pertinent choices at that point and start with a heading of the characters to be used in the following choices in that Section. After that list of characters, there are three other sets of information: a list of Divisions and Sections that allowed one to get to the present position from the start of the key, a list of characters within that Division that allowed one to get to a given position, and a bracketed number. That number represents our estimate of the probability that the reader will be able to make the correct choices in that Section: 5 = always correct, 4 = almost always correct but may err when geographic or ontogenetic variations complicate the situation or character evaluations are difficult, 3 = about a 50% chance of being correct, proceed with caution, 2 = low likelihood of being correct, use as much additional local information as possible, and 1 = essentially impossible to differentiate with the present data. Notations of relevant cases of sympatry are presented each time a species is identified; those marked with an asterisk are likely to pose problems, and those with double asterisks present severe problems. A letter in brackets after each species name indicates [A] adequate (but seldom exemplary) descriptive information available, [B] some descriptive information available, or [C] descriptive information inadequate or lacking. A low average for these scores is one reason for a low probability value for that Section; attempting to identify a series of well described tadpoles that are very similar morphologically is the other alternative for a low identification probability for a Section. The first case can be remedied by further study, but the second situation will always persist. We commonly use geographical limits to avoid the inherent problems of trying to distinguish among closely related and morphologically similar allopatric species with subjective evaluations of certain traits (e.g., coloration and shape) that we suspect have considerable variation. Differences in elevation, habitat, and breeding phenologies are included, and parenthetical notes are added non-uniformly throughout the key. A larger image of the tadpole can be accessed by clicking on the small (thumbnail) image within the key. If two images are shown, clicking on either will bring up larger ones of both, one above the other.
Staging is by the system of Gosner (1960), and all measurements are in millimeters. The key applies to free-living, feeding tadpoles and emphasizes individuals in the middle of larval ontogeny (ca. 30-36). A version of this key (and similar ones for amphibian eggs, salamander larvae, and metamorphic anurans) will appear in an up-coming book on the biology and identification of larval amphibians of the United States and Canada. We welcome immediate input and particularly solicit ideas on better ways to distinguish among the tadpoles in several genera or groups: Bufo, Pseudacris, all members of the Rana pipiens complex, and Spea. ALTIG: TEL: 601-325-7561, FAX: 601-325-7939; E-MAIL: rga2@ra.msstate.edu; MCDIARMID: TEL: 202-357-2780, FAX: 202-357-1932, E-MAIL: mcdiarmid.roy@nmnh.si.edu).
GOSNER, K. L. 1960.
A simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae with notes on identification. Herpetologica 16: 183-190.
SECTION 1. MOUTHPARTS, EYES, VENT, ORAL DISC EMARGINATION, AND LABIAL TOOTH ROW FORMULA (LTRF): - [5] -
| A. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts absent; eyes lateral; vent medial (oral disc emargination and LTRF not applicable) |
| B. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes dorsal; vent medial; oral disc not emarginate; LTRF 2/3, 4/4, 6/6 or 3/9-12 |
| C. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes dorsal; vent medial; oral disc emarginate; LTRF 2/2 or 2/3 (most commonly) |
| D. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes dorsal; vent dextral; oral disc emarginate, weakly so in some stream forms; LTRF commonly 2/3 (1/3 and 3/3 are uncommon variants) or larger (5/3, 2/4, 3/4 or 6-7/6) |
| E. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes dorsal; vent dextral; oral disc not emarginate; LTRF 2/2 |
| F. | oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes lateral; vent dextral; oral disc not emarginate; LTRF 2/2, 2/3 or 2/4 |
SECTION 2. SPIRACLE, ORAL STRUCTURES, NARES, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-A - oral disc and keratinized mouthparts absent; eyes lateral; vent medial - [5] -
| A. | spiracle single, midventral and near vent; paired, semicircular oral flaps overhanging mouth separated by inverted U-shaped notch; barbels absent; nares absent until near metamorphosis; widespread east of Sierra Nevada range |
| B. | spiracles dual and lateral; oral apparatus absent; long, mobile barbel at each corner of transverse, slit-like mouth; nares transversely elliptical; many kinds of lentic sites, exotic in southern California and Arizona (sympatric: none) |
PIPIDAE - Xenopus laevis [A]
| C. | spiracles dual and lateral; transverse slit-like mouth, usually with several short barbels, 1 at medial symphysis of lower jaw always present (some cohorts of some populations lack barbels or may be reduced in older tadpoles); nares transversely rounded; temporary pools in southern Texas (sympatric: Gastrophryne olivacea and Hypopachus variolosus) |
RHINOPHRYNIDAE - Rhinophrynus dorsalis [A]
SECTION 3. LTRF, ORAL DISC, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, ORAL DISC EMARGINATION, SPIRACLE, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-B - oral disc and keratinized mouthparts present; eyes dorsal; vent medial; oral disc not emarginate; LTRF 2/3, 4/4, 6/6 or 3/9-12 - [5] -
| A. | LTRF 3/9-12; multiserial A-1 about equal to length of biserial A-2; large, ventral oral disc stands open even in preserved specimens; marginal papillae complete; oral disc not emarginate; spiracle medial on chest and without dorsal wall; mountain streams of Pacific Northwest (sympatric: number of taxa but none with unique suite of characters) |
ASCAPHIDAE - Ascaphus truei [A]
| B. | LTRF 2/3; uniserial A-1 about same length as uniserial A-2; small anteroventral oral disc that folds shut when not in use; wide dorsal gap in small marginal papillae; oral disc not emarginate; spiracle sinistral near longitudinal axis; phytotelmons in forests on Oahu, Hawaii |
DENDROBATIDAE - Dendrobates auratus [A]
| C. | LTRF 2/3; uniserial A-1 about same length as uniserial A-2; small anteroventral oral disc that folds shut when not in use; wide dorsal gap in marginal papillae; oral disc not emarginate; spiracle sinistral near longitudinal axis; temporary pools in southern Texas |
LEPTODACTYLIDAE - Leptodactylus labialis [B]
| D. | LTRF variable, but usually either 4/4 or 6/6; uniserial A-1 much shorter than uniserial A-2 and about equal to width of narrow dorsal gap in marginal papillae; small, almost terminal oral disc that folds shut in preserved specimens or when not in use; marginal papillae with very narrow dorsal gap, sometimes appears complete; oral disc not emarginate; spiracle low on left side well below longitudinal axis; widespread, usually in temporary pools |
SECTION 1. LTRF: Division 1, Section 1-C - [5] -
| A. | LTRF 2/2 |
| B. | LTRF 2/3 |
SECTION 2. RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Section 1-A - LTRF 2/2 - [5] -
| A. | widespread from southeastern Arizona to central Texas north to western Kansas; temporary pools formed by summer rains (sympatric: none) |
Bufo debilis [A]
| B. | Pima and Pinal cos., south-central Arizona; temporary pools formed by summer rains (sympatric: none) |
Bufo retiformis (not illustrated) [A]
SECTION 3. LENGTH OF LTR P-3 AND COLORATION: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Section 1-B - LTRF 2/3 - (difficult group to identify, geographical choices used extensively) - [4] -
| A. | length of P-3 variable, P-2/P-3 1.1-2.0; dorsum of tail muscle definitely banded uniformly throughout length and pattern persists in preserved specimens |
| B. | P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 2.2; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens |
| C. | P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens |
SECTION 4. COLORATION, SIZE, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, SNOUT SHAPE, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B and 3-A - length of P-3 variable, P-2/P-3 1.1-2.0; dorsum of tail muscle definitely banded uniformly throughout length, even in preserved specimens - [5] -
| A. | small individuals appear black, but at most stages brassy to golden, non-melanic pigment covers most of body in life, uniformly tan in preservative; dorsum of tail muscle weakly-banded in younger stages; to 35 TL; marginal papillae extend to lateral tips of P-3; snout slopes slightly and then curves sharply downward near tip; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.6; pools of slow, coastal streams in California from Monterey County southward (sympatric: Bufo boreas) |
Bufo californicus (part) [B]
| B. | body appears black, but at least large specimens with iridophores (visible at slight magnification) that form subtle mottling; dorsum of tail muscle with definite white bands that persist in preservative (slight magnification may be needed); to 28 TL; marginal papillae do not extend to lateral tips of P-3; snout curves abruptly downward in lateral view; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.0; summer breeder in temporary pools that form after heavy rains in Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to Mississippi River (sympatric: Bufo valliceps*) |
Bufo quercicus [A]
| C. | body appears black, but at least large specimens have abundant iridophore pigmentation visible at slight magnification; dorsum of tail muscle with definite white bands that persist in preservative (slight magnification may be needed); to 35 TL; marginal papillae extend to lateral tips of P-3; snout forms long slope in lateral view; P-2/P-3 1.1; summer breeder in temporary pools south of a line connecting southwestern Mississippi, south-central Arkansas and Trans Pecos, Texas (sympatric: Bufo quercicus*) |
Bufo valliceps [A]
SECTION 5. COLORATION, SNOUT SHAPE, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B and 3-B - P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 2.2; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens - [4] -
| A. | all but smallest individuals, which appear mostly black, have extensive iridophore pigmentation that imparts general brassy coloration on body and tail muscle in life; uniformly tan in preservative; snout forms long slope in lateral view; P-2/P-3 > 2.5; temporary rain pools, usually in open areas from southeastern California to panhandle of Texas and most of central Great Plains to southeastern Alberta (sympatric: Bufo speciosus**) |
Bufo cognatus [A]
| B. | small specimens appear black, larger specimens pale tan in preservative, tan to brassy in life; tail muscle crudely bicolored (i.e., may have pale blotches within black portion) or pale with irregular dark stripe, snout curves sharply downward ahead of eyes; P-3 quite short, P-2/P-3 > 2.4; temporary rain pools, usually in open areas in western Oklahoma south and west to south-central New Mexico (sympatric: Bufo cognatus**) |
Bufo speciosus [B]
SECTION 6. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B and 3-C - LTRF 2/3; P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens - [5] -
| A. | Hawaii |
Bufo marinus (not illustrated)(part)[A]
| B. | Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west |
| C. | Rocky Mountains west to Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges |
| D. | Rocky Mountains east to Mississippi River |
| E. | east of Mississippi River |
SECTION 7. COLORATION, SNOUT SHAPE, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, and 6-B - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; Rocky Mountains west to Sierra Nevada- Cascade ranges - [4] -
| A. | small individuals throughout range and large individuals in most parts of range appear black; large specimens may have coppery iridophores posteroventrally and laterally, and in some southern areas, dorsal iridophore pigmentation occurs, uniformly brown to black in preservative; dorsum of tail uniformly dark; snout forms long slope in lateral view; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; many kinds of aquatic habitats from montane pools to stream back-waters to desert streams, widespread from southeastern Alaska to southern California (sympatric: Bufo californicus and B. canorus*) |
Bufo boreas (part) [B]
| B. | small individuals appear black, but at most stages brassy to golden, non-melanic pigment covers most of body in life, uniformly tan in preservative, dorsum of tail muscle weakly-banded in younger stages; snout curves sharply downward ahead of eyes; P-3 moderately long, P-2/P-3 ca. 1.6; pools of slow, coastal streams in California from Monterey County southward (sympatric: Bufo boreas*) |
Bufo californicus (part) [B]
| C. | individuals of all stages sooty black in life, black to brown in preservative, fins semi-opaque; dorsum of tail uniformly dark; snout forms long slope in lateral view; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.6; central Sierra Nevada Range from Eldorado to Fresno cos., California above ca. 2740 m (8300 ft); montane pools and lake margins (sympatric: Bufo boreas) |
Bufo canorus (part) [B]
SECTION 8. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, and 6-C - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; Rocky Mountains west to Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges - [5] -
| A. | two spring runs in Deep Springs Valley, Inyo Co., California (sympatric: none) |
Bufo exsul (not illustrated) [C]
| B. | Amargosa River drainage and nearby spring runs in western Nye Co., Nevada; (sympatric: none) |
Bufo nelsoni [C]
| C. | north of latitude of northern Colorado |
| D. | south of latitude of northern Colorado |
SECTION 9. COLORATION, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-C, and 8-C - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; north of latitude of northern Colorado between Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges - [4] -
| A. | appears uniformly black but larger specimens sometimes with coppery iridophores ventrally; uniformly black to dark brown in preservative; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; many kinds of aquatic habitats from pools in montane meadows and ditches to desert springs and meadows in most of inter-mountain area in designated area from southeastern Yukon Territory (sympatric: Bufo woodhousii) |
Bufo boreas (part) [B]
| B. | small specimens appear black but scattered golden iridophores visible at slight magnification; larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation on body and dorsum of tail muscle, dense iridophores on dorsum of tail muscle sometimes form a uniform stripe; uniformly dark in preservative; P-2/P-3 > 2.0; usually temporary pools in open areas in disjunct areas in northern Utah, southwestern Idaho, and southeastern Washington (considerable ontogenetic and geographic variation present; sympatric: Bufo boreas) |
Bufo woodhousii (part) [B]
SECTION 10. COLORATION, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-C, and 8-D - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; south of northern Colorado between Sierra Nevada- Cascade ranges and Rocky Mountains - [3, in sympatry] -
| A. | large specimens appear uniformly brassy in life or uniformly tan in preservative; tail muscle with small, irregular, low- contrast dark markings; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; temporary pools formed by seasonal rains in southern half of Arizona and adjacent California and New Mexico (sympatric: Bufo punctatus** and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo alvarius [B]
| B. | small and large individuals are black, large specimens may have coppery iridophores posteroventrally and laterally; fins usually clear with filiform melanophores in larger individuals; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; many kinds of aquatic habitats from montane pools to desert streams and shallow areas of lakes in central Utah, western Colorado, southern Idaho and much of Nevada (sympatric: Bufo woodhousii) |
Bufo boreas (part) [B]
| C. | larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation that imparts brassy coloration, especially laterally; tail muscle blotched to uniform, slightly banded in younger individuals; P- 2/P-3 ca. 1.4; slow parts of lotic systems, remnant stream pools, and temporary pools in several disjunct areas from southern Nevada and adjacent Utah southeasterly to southwestern New Mexico (sympatric: Bufo punctatus* and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo microscaphus [B]
| D. | typically appears uniformly black to pale brown, but significant variations are known from southern Nevada and Arizona; tail musculature bicolored or irregularly blotched with black and white; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; temporary pools and remnant stream pools, widespread from southeastern California to Rocky Mountains south of central Utah (sympatric: Bufo alvarius**, B. microscaphus*, and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo punctatus (part) [A]
| E. | small specimens appear black but scattered golden iridophores visible at slight magnification; larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation on body and dorsum of tail muscle; P-2/P-3 > 2.0; usually temporary pools in open areas, widespread from southeastern California to Rocky Mountains (considerable ontogenetic and geographic variation present; sympatric: Bufo alvarius**, B. boreas, B. microscaphus*, and B. punctatus*) |
Bufo woodhousii (part) [A]
SECTION 11. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, and 6-D - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; Rocky Mountains east to Mississippi River - [5] -
| A. | southern Texas (south of latitude of Corpus Christi) |
| B. | north of latitude of northern Iowa |
| C. | north of southern Texas and south of latitude of northern Iowa (see previous two choices) |
SECTION 12. COLORATION, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-D, and 11-A - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; extreme southern Texas - [4] -
| A. | entirely black dorsally; tail muscle unicolored dark or with small area of white ventrally; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; almost any lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in extreme southern Texas (sympatric: Bufo punctatus*, B. valliceps, and B. woodhousii) |
Bufo marinus (not illustrated) (part) [A]
| B. | small specimens appear black, older specimens sometimes with considerable evenly distributed iridophore pigment visible at slight magnification; tail muscle usually entirely black, sometimes with small white ventral area; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; temporary pools and remnant stream pools southwestern Texas (sympatric: Bufo marinus*, B. valliceps, and B. woodhousii) |
Bufo punctatus (part) [B]
| C. | small specimens appear black but scattered golden iridophores visible at slight magnification; larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation on body and dorsum of tail muscle, dense iridophores on dorsum of tail muscle sometimes forming uniform stripe; P-2/P-3 > 2.0; temporary pools and ditches in open areas in extreme southern Texas (considerable ontogenetic and geographic variation present; sympatric: Bufo marinus*, B. punctatus*, and B. valliceps) |
Bufo woodhousii (part) [B]
SECTION 13. COLORATION, SNOUT SHAPE, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-D, and 11-B - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; north of latitude of northern Iowa between Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River - [3] -
| A. | appears black but abundant golden iridophores visible at slight magnification, concentration of iridophores along top of tail muscle; lower white part of bicolored tail muscle ca. 25% of basal muscle height; snout moderate, ca. 1.5 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; shallow, temporary pools and shallow parts of permanent sites in western Iowa and Minnesota (sympatric: Bufo hemiophrys** and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo americanus (part) [B]
| B. | small and large individuals are black, large specimens may have coppery iridophores posteroventrally and laterally; tail muscle entirely black; snout long, ca. 2-3 diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; montane pools western Wyoming and Montana to central Alberta (sympatric: Bufo woodhousii) |
Bufo boreas (part) [B]
| C. | entirely black dorsally without iridophores; tail muscle blotched to crudely bicolored, boundary between dark and white areas irregular and diffuse; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; snout moderate, about 1.5 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; summer breeder usually in temporary pools or slow-flowing sites in open areas of eastern Minnesota and adjacent North and South Dakota northwestward to northern Alberta (sympatric: Bufo americanus**, B. boreas, and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo hemiophrys [C]
| D. | small specimens appear black but scattered golden iridophores visible at slight magnification; larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation on body and dorsum of tail muscle; lower white part of crudely bicolored tail ca. 25% of basal muscle height; P-2/P-3 > 2.0; snout moderate, about 2 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; usually temporary pools in open areas, widespread in central Great Plains in North and South Dakota and adjacent Montana and Wyoming (considerable ontogenetic and geographic variation present; sympatric: Bufo americanus* and B. hemiophrys**) |
Bufo woodhousii (part) [B]
SECTION 14. COLORATION, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-D, and 11-C - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; north of southern Texas and south of northern Iowa between Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River - [3 if alive, 2 if preserved] -
| A. | appears black but abundant golden iridophores visible at slight magnification, concentration of iridophores along top of tail muscle; tail muscle bicolored; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; temporary pools in eastern Great Plains from central Manitoba to northeastern Texas (sympatric: Bufo fowleri**, B. punctatus, and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo americanus (part) [B]
| B. | small and large individuals are black, large specimens may have coppery iridophores posteroventrally and laterally; fins usually clear with filiform melanophores in larger individuals; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; montane pools in central Colorado and adjacent Wyoming (sympatric: Bufo hemiophrys and B. woodhousii) |
Bufo boreas (part) [B]
| C. | no published data - entirely black dorsally without iridophores, few scattered iridophores laterally; white part of bicolored tail muscle very narrow; P-2/P-3 probably ca. 1.3 as in B. americanus; temporary and permanent pools and ponds, often in forested areas, in small area in east-central Texas (sympatric: Bufo fowleri** and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo houstonensis [C]
| D. | small specimens appear black, large specimens with abundant iridophores that impart a mottled or frosted appearance; lower white part of bicolored tail ca. 50% of basal muscle height; P- 2/P-3 ca. 1.6; temporary pools in eastern Texas north to southeastern Iowa (sympatric: Bufo americanus**, B. houstonensis, and B. woodhousii**) |
Bufo fowleri (part) [B]
| E. | small specimens appear black, older specimens sometimes with considerable iridophore pigment distributed evenly; tail muscle usually entirely black, sometimes with small white ventral area, tail muscle diffusely blotched in some areas; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; temporary pools and remnant stream pools in southeastern Kansas south to Mexican border and west to Rocky Mountains (sympatric: Bufo americanus* and B. woodhousii*) |
Bufo punctatus (part) [B]
| F. | small specimens appear black but scattered golden iridophores visible at slight magnification; larger specimens with considerable iridophore pigmentation on body and dorsum of tail muscle, dense iridophores on dorsum of tail muscle sometimes forms a uniform stripe; lower white part of bicolored tail with irregular border and forms ca. 25% or less of basal muscle height; P-2/P-3 > 2.0; usually shallow, temporary pools in open areas throughout most of Great Plains except in northeastern sector (considerable ontogenetic and geographic variation present; sympatric: Bufo americanus**, B. fowleri, B. houstonensis, and B. punctatus*) |
Bufo woodhousii (part) [B]
SECTION 15. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, and 6-E - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; east of Mississippi River - [5] -
| A. | southern two-thirds of Florida peninsula |
| B. | north of latitude of southern West Virginia |
| C. | north of central Florida and south of latitude of southern West Virginia (see previous two choices) |
SECTION 16. COLORATION, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, AND SPIRACLE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-E, and 15-A - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; southern two-thirds of Florida peninsula east of Mississippi River - [5] -
| A. | entirely black dorsally; tail muscle unicolored dark or with small area of white ventrally; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 7.0; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; spiracle below longitudinal axis; exotic in almost any lentic and slow-flowing lotic site in spring and summer (sympatric: Bufo quercicus and B. terrestris*) |
Bufo marinus (not illustrated)(part) [A]
| B. | body dorsum uniformly dark with golden lines (in life) extending from beneath eye diagonally backwards toward midline; lower white portion of bicolored tail 20-25% of basal muscle height; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 5.0; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; spiracle on or near longitudinal body axis; late spring to summer breeder usually in temporary sites, but also permanent lentic sites or slow areas of lotic sites (sympatric: Bufo marinus* and B. quercicus) |
Bufo terrestris (part) [B]
SECTION 17. COLORATION AND LENGTH OF LTR P-3: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-E, and 15-B - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P- 2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; north of latitude of southern West Virginia east of Mississippi River - [4 if alive, 2 if preserved] -
| A. | appears black but abundant golden iridophores visible at slight magnification, often concentration of iridophores along top of tail muscle; lower white part of bicolored tail ca. 25% of basal muscle height; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; usually shallow, temporary sites in most of designated area (sympatric: Bufo fowleri**) |
Bufo americanus (part) [B]
| B. | coloration variable, small specimens appear black, large specimens with abundant silver to brassy iridophores that impart a frosted or mottled appearance; lower white part of bicolored tail ca. 50% of basal muscle height; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.6; usually shallow, temporary lentic sites in most of designated area (sympatric: Bufo americanus**) |
Bufo fowleri (part) [B]
SECTION 18. COLORATION, SNOUT SHAPE, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, SPIRACLE, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-C; Division 2, Sections 1-B, 3-C, 6-E, and 15-C - LTRF 2/3; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 < 2.0; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly pale or dark, rarely broken with contrasting areas but never banded, even in preserved specimens; north of central Florida and south of latitude of southern West Virginia east of Mississippi River - [4 if alive, 2 if preserved] -
| A. | appears black but abundant golden iridophores visible at slight magnification, often concentration of iridophores along top of tail muscle; lower white part of bicolored tail muscle ca. 25% of basal muscle height; snout moderate, ca. 1.5 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 5.0; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; spiracle on longitudinal axis; temporary pools and shallow parts of permanent lentic sites throughout most of designated area above Fall Line i.e., inland from Coastal Plain, breeds earlier than B. fowleri (sympatric: Bufo fowleri** and B. terrestris*) |
Bufo americanus (part) [B]
| B. | coloration variable, small specimens appear black, large specimens with abundant silver to brassy iridophores that impart a frosted or mottled appearance; lower white part of bicolored tail ca. 50% of basal muscle height; snout blunt, turns quickly in front of eyes; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 4.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.6; spiracle on longitudinal axis; lentic sites throughout most of designated area except southeastern Coastal Plain and Florida peninsula, breeds later than B. americanus (sympatric: Bufo americanus** and B. terrestris*) |
Bufo fowleri (part) [B]
| C. | body dorsum uniformly dark with golden lines (in life) of iridophores extending diagonally backwards from below eye toward midline (less visible at night); lower white part of bicolored tail ca. 20-25% of basal muscle height; snout long, about 3 eye diameters in distance from front of eye to tip of snout; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 5.0; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; spiracle below longitudinal axis; usually temporary and but also permanent lentic sites or slow areas of lotic sites in Coastal Plain from Mississippi River to southeastern Virginia (sympatric: Bufo americanus* and B. fowleri*) |
Bufo terrestris (part) [B]
SECTION 1. LTRF AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D - [5] -
| A. | LTRF 1/3, 2/3 (most commonly) or 3/3; throughout continent and Hawaii |
| B. | LTRF 2/4 or 3/4; Alaska southeast to Georgia in one case or Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west |
| C. | LTRF 5/3; streams of south-central Arizona (extinct; sympatric: none) |
Rana tarahumarae [B]
| D. | LTRF 6-7/6; slow streams and adjacent lentic sites in Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west (sympatric: Rana muscosa) |
Rana boylii [B]
SECTION 2. RANGE RESTRICTION: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Section 1-A - [5] -
| A. | Hawaii |
| B. | mainland |
SECTION 3. SIZE, COLORATION, AND BODY AND FIN SHAPES: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 2-A - [5] -
| A. | tadpole small, < 25 TL; prominent (formed of many, closely- arranged, brightly-colored cells) transverse golden band at mid- body (visible or not in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); ground color dark and discrete dots on dorsum and in dorsal fin absent; belly transparent to slightly white; body not notably depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; any sort of lentic or lotic sites (sympatric: Rana rugosa) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| B. | tadpole larger, to 140 TL; dorsum, dorsal fin and dorsal part of tail muscle with many, small, black dots with discrete borders, visible in live or preserved animals, but faint (visible at magnification) when first form at about 20-25 TL; ground color brownish to greenish in life, brownish to gray in preservative; belly opaque white in larger specimens, sometimes tinged with yellow in life; body not notably depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; any sort of lentic or lotic site (sympatric: Rana rugosa) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| C. | tadpole to 80 TL; dorsum uniformly brown with minor dark reticulations but lacking discrete dots on dorsum and dorsal fin; belly white; body depressed and dorsal fin with low arch; slow parts of lotic sites and adjacent lentic sites (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana) |
Rana rugosa (not iillustrated) [B]
SECTION 4. SIZE, PROMINENT COLORATIONS, BODY AND FIN SHAPES, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 2-B - [4] -
| A. | tadpole small, to ca. 25 TL; prominent (i.e., formed of many, closely-arranged, brightly-colored cells) to faint (i.e., formed of fewer, widely-spaced cells) transverse golden, brassy, or russet band at mid-body (visible or not in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); fins not pigmented or slightly opaque; native and introduced ranges throughout most of continent but several species limited to Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains |
| B. | tadpole larger, 25-140 TL; dorsum, dorsal fin and dorsal part of tail muscle with many, small, black dots with discrete borders, visible in live or preserved animals, but are faint (visible at magnification) when first form at about 20-25 TL; ground color brownish to greenish in life, brownish to gray in preservative; belly opaque white in larger specimens, sometimes tinged with yellow in life; body not strongly depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; native and introduced ranges include most of continent; breeds in summer in larger lotic and lentic sites, may over-winter 0-3 years (sympatric: number of ranids, but none with similar pattern) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| C. | tadpole larger, 25-140 TL; body dorsum uniformly olive to bright green in life, gray to brownish in preservative; dorsal fin and dorsal half of tail muscle totally lacking black dots of typical R. catesbeiana; belly densely white to bright yellow; body not strongly depressed and dorsal fin with notable arch; unusual color morphotype that breeds in summer in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in southern Alabama and Florida peninsula to at least Tampa Bay area (sympatric: several other ranids but none with similar coloration) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| D. | tadpole larger, to 90 TL; dorsum dark or pale brown to gray with a few dots with fuzzy borders and subtle vermiculations; no spots in dorsal fin, but distal third of tail commonly with black, somewhat haphazard, more or less rectangular markings, fins commonly densely speckled; venter densely white in large specimens, usually with silver patches of iridophores in younger specimens, body notably depressed and long dorsal fin with low arch; summer breeder in usually permanent, often swampy sites, exotic range: Vancouver Island and adjacent British Columbia and Washington and near Salt Lake City, Utah; native range: most of eastern North America east of central Oklahoma (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana*, R. aurora, R. cascadae, R. okaloosae, R. pretiosa, R. septentrionalis**, and various species of R. pipiens complex) |
Rana clamitans (part) [B]
| E. | tadpole larger, 25-110 TL; body grayish with finely freckled pattern, perhaps caused by integumentary glands; prominent to faint (fades as tadpole grows but usually visible) transverse golden band at mid-body; fins appear opaque white with intense black along entire margin (tail pattern persists in preservative); body somewhat depressed and fin with low arch; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites, often in swamps, from southern North Carolina to southeastern Mississippi (sympatric: no other tadpole has similar pattern) |
Rana heckscheri (part) [A]
| F. | tadpole larger, to 100 TL; dorsum randomly spotted or mottled with various shades black, yellow and green; fins lightly speckled but no notable black marks on distal third of tail; body not notably depressed; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites north of latitudes of northern Wisconsin and northern Maine (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana and R. clamitans) |
Rana septentrionalis (part) [B]
| G. | tadpole larger, 25-110 TL; body brown to russet with small, subtle, darker markings; middle of dorsal fin with longitudinal dark line or row of dots; Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from southeastern Texas to New Jersey |
| H. | regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors and patterns described in choices above absent |
SECTION 5. COLORATION AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 4-A - LTRF usually 2/3; to 25 TL; prominent (formed of many, closely-arranged, bright-colored cells) to faint (formed of fewer, widely-spaced cells) transverse golden, brassy, or russet band at mid-body (may or may not be visible in preserved specimen but sparse distributions of melanophores in this area often allow detection of where band was); fins usually not pigmented but may be slightly opaque; throughout continent but several species limited to Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains - [4, in life] -
| A. | low contrast (sometimes not noticeable without magnification) yellow band at mid-body; rest of body with scattered iridophores that appear to reside in various integumentary and subintegumentary layers; black pigment along blood vessel that parallels dorsal surface of tail muscle; fins clear and not marked; tail muscle unicolored or graded from dark dorsally to light ventrally; throughout continent in native and introduced ranges, breeds in summer depending on latitude, in larger lotic and lentic sites (sympatric: Rana grylio*, R. heckscheri, and R. virgatipes) |
Rana catesbeiana (part) [A]
| B. | high contrast (easily visible without magnification) brassy band at mid-body on black ground color; with tadpole growth, band fades as ground color turns to russet; fins slightly opaque; tail muscle unicolored; summer breeder, usually in permanent lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southwestern Louisiana and adjacent Texas to central South Carolina (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. heckscheri, and R. virgatipes*) |
Rana grylio (part) [B]
| C. | high contrast yellow band at mid-body on black ground color; band fades with age but persists throughout ontogeny; fins clear and lack black margin of older tadpoles; tail muscle bicolored; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in Coastal Plain from southeastern Mississippi to southeastern North Carolina except for southern two-thirds of Florida peninsula (sympatric: R. catesbeiana, R. grylio*, and R. virgatipes) |
Rana heckscheri (part) [A]
| D. | low contrast bronze to brassy band at mid-body on bronzy to russet ground color; fins finely speckled; tail muscle unicolored or grades to slightly more pale ventrally; summer breeder in lentic, often swampy, sites in Atlantic Coastal Plain from northeastern Florida to New Jersey (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. grylio**) |
Rana virgatipes (not illustrated) (part) [B]
SECTION 6. LENGTH OF LTR P-3, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A and 3-G - LTRF usually 2/3; ca. 25-110 TL; body brown to russet with small, subtle, darker markings; middle of dorsal fin with longitudinal dark line or row of dots; Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from southeastern Texas to New Jersey - [2 in sympatry] -
| A. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; ground color brown with subtle mottling, longitudinal series of dark dots in dorsal fin; summer breeder, usually in permanent lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southwestern Louisiana and adjacent Texas to central South Carolina (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. virgatipes**) |
Rana grylio (part) [B]
| B. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; ground color brownish to slightly maroon with minor dark, fine markings, sometimes dotted; longitudinal series of dark dots in dorsal fin, sometimes fuse into continuous stripe, and fainter stripe may parallel this array on tail muscle; summer breeder in lentic, often swampy, sites in Atlantic Coastal Plain from northeastern Florida to New Jersey (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans, and R. grylio**) |
Rana virgatipes (part) [B]
SECTION 7. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, and 4-H - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent - [5] -
| A. | Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west |
| B. | Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges to Rocky Mountains |
| C. | Rocky Mountains to Mississippi River |
| D. | east of Mississippi River |
SECTION 8. SIZE, LTR P-3 AND P-1, DORSAL FIN, JAW SHEATHS, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4- H, and 7-A - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described Section 4 absent; Sierra Nevada- Cascade ranges and west - [4] -
| A. | to 75 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 with medial gap; dorsal fin with prominent arch to nearly parallel with tail muscle; tail length ca. 1.8 times body length; lower jaw sheath medium; body uniform maroon-brown to brightly speckled with golden iridophores; many kinds of aquatic habitats including marshes, bogs, swamps, slow streams, and temporary pools in southwestern British Columbia to southern California (presented with LTRF of 2/3 and 3/4 because of uncertainty of distribution of LTRF among populations and/or species; probably not consistently distinguishable except by range; sympatric: Rana cascadae*, R. clamitans, R. pipiens, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana aurora (part) [B]
| B. | to ca. 65 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.5; P-1 without medial gap; dorsal fin nearly parallel with tail muscle; tail length ca. 2.0 times body length; lower jaw sheath medium; dorsum uniformly brownish, no white line extending posteriorly from near corners of oral disc; montane marshes, pools and lake margins and slow reaches of low-gradient streams of Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range, southern limit = Mt. Lassen, Shasta Co., California, about 700 m (2300 ft)(sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. luteiventris, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana cascadae (part) [B]
| C. | to 105 TL; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.3; P-1 with medial gap; dorsal fin with moderate arch; tail ca. 2.0 times body length; lower jaw sheath narrow; uniformly dark dorsally; back-waters of small streams, montane pools, bogs, and lake margins from southeastern Alaska southward to northern California with large gaps in distribution (sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. cascadae, and R. clamitans) |
Rana pretiosa [B]
SECTION 9. COLORATION, NEUROMASTS, SUBMARGINAL AND MARGINAL PAPILLAE, BODY PROPORTIONS, LTR P-1, ABDOMINAL MUSCULATURE, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-B - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent; Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges to Rocky Mountains - [3] -
| A. | no published data; sloughs and ponds in Vegas Valley, Clark Co., Nevada (extinct; sympatric: none) |
Rana fisheri [C]
| B. | no published data; spring runs and sloughs along upper Virgin River, Clarke Co., Nevada (sympatric: none) |
Rana onca [C]
| C. | no published data; streams and nearby ponds within and near Ramsey Canyon, Hereford Co., Arizona (sympatric: none) |
Rana subaquavocalis [C]
| D. | general coloration pale with well defined reticulated pattern on tail muscle; iris in life with dark marks at major compass points; neuromasts obscure; submarginal papillae in poorly-defined row along lateral ends of lower tooth rows; midventral marginal papillae large; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .34; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; exotic in Gila River drainage (sympatric: Rana yavapaiensis**) |
Rana berlandieri (part) [A]
| E. | general coloration dark, definite large blotches on distal third of tail and ventrolaterally on body; iris in life with dark marks at major compass points and abundant but diffuse pigment between these marks; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae small; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length > .35; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis prominently visible through skin of preserved tadpole; lentic and slow- flowing lotic sites; central to southwestern Arizona and adjacent New Mexico (sympatric: Rana pipiens* and R. yavapaiensis*) |
Rana chiricahuensis [A]
| F. | general coloration uniform dark to gray; iris with iridophore pigment in life; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae medium; oral disc width/body length ca. .04; basal tail height/body length ca. .20; P-1 with medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed; many aquatic habitats from back-waters of slow streams to marshes and lake margins in much of eastern Oregon and Washington and adjacent Canada with several disjunct populations in Nevada (sympatric: Rana cascadae and R. pipiens) |
Rana luteiventris (part) [B]
| G. | general coloration relatively uniform throughout; iris in life with dark pigment at major compass points; neuromasts obscure; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae medium; oral disc width/body length < .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .34; P-1 without medial gap; myotomes of rectus abdominis weakly developed and barely visible through skin of preserved tadpole; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; northern half of Arizona and New Mexico (sympatric: Rana chiricahuensis*) |
Rana pipiens (part) [B]
| H. | generally dark coloration formed of fine stippling and larger blotches common on tail; iris in life with black marks at major compass points; neuromasts easily visible on dark ground color; few, small submarginal papillae scattered laterally; midventral marginal papillae small and pigmented; oral disc width/body length > .20; basal tail muscle height/body length < .3; P-1 with medial gap; posterior 2-3 myotomes of rectus abdominis visible; lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites; southeastern Nevada to southern Arizona and east to central Arizona south of Mogollon Rim and adjacent New Mexico (sympatric: Rana berlandieri** and R. chiricahuensis*) |
Rana yavapaiensis [A]
SECTION 10. IRIS, UPPER JAW SHEATH, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-C - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent; Rocky Mountains east to Mississippi River - [2-3] -
| A. | iris always with iridophores in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms medium to high arch; white lip line usually present; variable, depending on turbidity, from uniformly dark to uniformly pale, fins usually clear but may have bold markings; lentic, usually temporary sites, breeds explosively in early spring in eastern Oklahoma south to Gulf of Mexico and east (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana blairi**, R. palustris*, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana areolata (part) [B]
| B. | iris always with iridophores in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.6; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae in poorly-defined row along lateral ends of lower tooth rows; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms low arch; white lip line usually present; generally pale colored with definite dark reticulate pattern on tail muscle; fins without prominent markings; usually lentic sites in southwestern three-quarters of Texas (sympatric: Rana blairi) |
Rana berlandieri (part) [B]
| C. | iris with or without iridophores, if absent, eyes appear black in life; upper jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; P-1 without a medial gap; upper midventral marginal papillae medium; crowded submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates anterior to tail-body junction and forms high arch; white lip line weak to absent; dorsum of body and tail muscle uniformly pale, often golden in life and tan to gray in preservative; fins without notable markings; lentic sites, often turbid, in eastern Missouri west and south to eastern Colorado and central New Mexico (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. berlandieri, R. sphenocephala) |
Rana blairi (part) [A]
| D. | iris with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath narrow to medium; length of one part of A-2/width ca. 0.2; P-2/P-3 1.5; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms moderate arch; white lip line absent; general coloration uniform dark to gray; many aquatic habitats from back- waters of slow streams to marshes and lake margins in most of northern two-thirds of Idaho, western Montana and adjacent Wyoming and disjunct populations in Utah and Wyoming (sympatric: Rana pipiens) |
Rana luteiventris (part) [B]
| E. | iris with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap 0.2-0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; few scattered submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates anterior to tail-body junction and forms high arch; white lip line faint to absent; ground color of body purplish-black freckled with lighter pigment, tail fin uniformly speckled; early spring breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites in northeastern Missouri southwest to eastern Texas coast (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana palustris (part) [B]
| F. | iris always with iridophores in life; lower jaw sheath robust and wide; length of one part of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.7; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; marginal papillae medium; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin, which originates near tail-body junction, forms low to medium arch; white lip line present; coloration variable from uniformly dark to uniformly pale to considerable subtle mottling, fins clear to boldly marked; usually spring breeder in lentic, often temporary sites, east of line connecting northeastern Missouri and central Texas (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata, R. capito, and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi and R. palustris) |
Rana pipiens (part) and R. sphenocephala (part) [B]
SECTION 11. IRIS, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Sections 1-A, 2-B, 4-H, and 7-D - LTRF usually 2/3; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns described in Section 4 absent; east of Mississippi River - [1-3] -
| A. | iris always with iridophores in life; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. .5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; P-1 without a medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; submarginal papillae few to absent; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms medium arch; white lip line usually absent; variable, depending on turbidity, from uniformly dark to uniformly pale, fins usually clear but may have bold markings; lentic, usually temporary sites, breeds explosively in early spring throughout Mississippi Embayment and Gulf and Atlantic coastal plains (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata, R. capito, and R. pipiens + R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana blairi**, R. palustris*, R. pipiens**, and R. sphenocephala**) |
Rana areolata (part) [B] + R. capito [C]
+
| B. | iris usually without iridophores, so eyes appear black in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae medium; crowded submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin high and originates anterior to tail-body junction; white lip line weak to absent; dorsum of body and tail muscle uniformly pale, often golden in life and tan to gray in preservative; fins without markings; lentic, often turbid sites in central Illinois and adjacent Indiana (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. palustris, and R. pipiens + R. sphenocephala) |
Rana blairi (part) [A]
| C. | iris with iridophore pigmentation; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 0.2; P-2/P-3 > 4; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; submarginal papillae laterally and below P-3; dorsal fin low and originates at tail- body junction, almost parallel with tail muscle; white lip line absent; body and tail muscle olive-brown to russet, belly with large silver blotches in life; summer breeder in lentic and slow- flowing boggy sites in Yellow River drainage of central panhandle of Florida (sympatric: several ranids but Rana clamitans* is only confusing tadpole) |
Rana okaloosae [A]
| D. | iris with iridophores in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap 0.2-0.5; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; P-1 with medial gap; midventral marginal papillae large; few scattered submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin with high arch and originates anterior to tail-body junction; white line absent; ground color of body purplish-black freckled with lighter pigment, tail fin uniformly speckled; white line extending posteriorly from near base of oral disc usually faint; early spring breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites over much of designated area except for Florida (sympatric: Rana areolata, R. blairi, and R. sphenocephala*) |
Rana palustris (part) [B]
| E. | iris always with iridophores in life; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 0.7; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae medium; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms low to medium arch; white lip line usually present; coloration variable from uniformly dark to uniformly pale to considerable subtle mottling, fins clear to boldly marked; usually a spring breeder in lentic, often temporary sites north of latitude of north-central Kentucky for R. pipiens and south of that latitude for R. sphenocephala (no accurate means of distinguishing between R. areolata and R. sphenocephala + R. pipiens and between R. pipiens and R. sphenocephala; sympatric: Rana areolata**, R. capito**, R. blairi*, and R. palustris*) |
Rana pipiens (part) [B] + R. sphenocephala (part) [B]
| F. | iris with iridophore pigmentation; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 0.6; P-2/P-3 1.5; P-1 without medial gap; midventral marginal papillae small; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsal fin originates near tail-body junction and forms a long, low arch; white lip line absent; mottled with shades of black, yellow and green, no notable black marks on distal third of tail; summer breeder in lentic and slow-flowing lotic sites north of latitudes of northern Wisconsin and northern Maine (sympatric: Rana catesbeiana, R. clamitans**, and R. pipiens) |
Rana septentrionalis (part) [B]
SECTION 12. LTRF, BODY SHAPE, DORSAL FIN, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-D; Division 3, Section 1-B - LTRF 2/4 or 3/4; streams or nearby lentic sites west of Rocky Mountains except for R. sylvatica) - [4] -
| A. | LTRF 2-4/4; body depressed; low dorsal fin originates near tail- body junction; dorsum uniformly dark to slightly mottled with clear or speckled fins; rocky to marshy streams and adjacent lentic sites in central Sierra Nevada range and transverse ranges of southern California (sympatric: Rana boylii) |
Rana muscosa [B]
| B. | LTRF 3/4; body depressed to globular; low to high dorsal fin originates at or anterior to tail-body junction; dorsum dark brown to maroon, fins mostly clear of melanic pigment; many kinds of aquatic habitats including marshes, bogs, swamps, slow streams, and temporary pools in Sierra Nevada-Cascade ranges and west except for Central Valley of California (sympatric: Rana boylii, R. cascadae*, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana aurora (part) [B]
| C. | LTRF 3/4; body globular; low dorsal fin originate near tail-body junction; dorsum uniformly brown with minimal markings in dorsal fin; montane marshes, pools and lake margins and slow reaches of low-gradient streams in Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range, southern limit = Mt. Lassen, Shasta Co., California above 700 m (2300 ft) (sympatric: Rana aurora*, R. boylii, R. luteiventris, and R. pretiosa*) |
Rana cascadae (part) [B]
| D. | LTRF 3/4; body globular; high dorsal fin originates at or slightly anterior to tail-body junction; dorsum uniformly dark, fins with no or little markings; breeds early in spring, usually in lentic sites north and east of line connecting southeastern Alaska, southeastern British Columbia and northwestern South Carolina and small adjunct sites in Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, and Wyoming (sympatric: none) |
Rana sylvatica [A]
SECTION 1. LTRF, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, AND EYES: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F - [5] -
| A. | LTRF 2/2 or 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae present or not; eyes lateral |
Pseudacris (part) - Section 2
| B. | LTRF 2/2; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes dorsal |
Acris - Section 3
| C. | LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral |
| D. | LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes dorsal to dorsolateral |
| E. | LTRF 2/4; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral |
Osteopilus septentrionalis [B]
SECTION 2. LTR P-3, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Section 1-A - LTRF 2/2; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae present or not; eyes lateral - [2] -
| A. | P-2/P-3 > 3.0 (if P-3 is present); length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 3.0; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsum of tail muscle may be crudely banded at least in younger stages, uniformly dark, or with irregular pale area over most of surface; tail muscle in lateral view often bicolored in younger specimens but becomes more uniform with age; fins blotched in large tadpoles in some areas; winter and spring breeder, most common in temporary sites usually in or near forests throughout eastern North America east of eastern Texas and Missouri and north to central Ontario (extremely variable; sympatric: Pseudacris triseriata**) |
Pseudacris crucifer (part) [B]
| B. | P-2/P-3 > 2.8 (if P-3 is present); length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap < 2.1; few submarginal papillae laterally or none; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly dark; winter and spring breeder, most common in temporary sites usually in open, grassy sites from central Montana south to central Arizona and east to Atlantic Ocean (extremely variable; sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer**) |
Pseudacris triseriata (part) [B]
SECTION 3. SPIRACLE, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Section 1-B - LTRF 2/2; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes dorsal - [3] -
| A. | spiracular tube short, not projecting as tube free from body wall; often dark band across chest; summer breeder, most commonly along edges of permanent lentic or slow-flowing lotic sites from Atlantic Ocean to eastern Colorado and New Mexico and north to central Wisconsin (sympatric: Acris gryllus**) |
Acris crepitans [A]
| B. | spiracular tube long, projects as tube free from body wall; chest without dark band; summer breeder in usually permanent lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to Mississippi River (sympatric: Acris crepitans**) |
Acris gryllus [A]
SECTION 4. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Section 1-C - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral - [5] -
| A. | Rocky Mountains and west |
| B. | Rocky Mountains and east |
SECTION 5. JAW SHEATHS; TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, FINS, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Section 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C and 4-A - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; Rocky Mountains and west - [5] -
| A. | lower jaw sheath narrow, upper jaw sheath wide; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 3.0; midventral marginal papillae bi- or triserial; few, scattered submarginal papillae laterally; fins low; uniformly tan in life with considerable uniformly distributed iridophore pigmentation, tan in preservative, fins of larger tadpoles with scattered black blotches; slow parts of streams and remnant stream pools throughout eastern three-quarters of Arizona and adjacent New Mexico and Utah (sympatric: Hyla wrightorum and Pseudacris triseriata) |
Hyla arenicolor (part) [A]
| B. | jaw sheaths medium; P-2/P-3 ca. 3.3; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 2.4; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few lateral submarginal papillae; fins medium; body uniformly and often lightly pigmented without tail banding; montane pools and ponds throughout Mogollon Rim in central Arizona plus Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Arizona (sympatric: Hyla arenicolor and Pseudacris triseriata) |
Hyla wrightorum [B]
| C. | jaw sheaths medium; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 3.7; midventral marginal papillae biserial midventrally; few submarginal papillae laterally; fins low; body of at least larger tadpoles boldly mottled, dorsum of tail muscle banded at least in younger tadpoles, usually faint in larger ones; (sympatric: Pseudacris regilla) |
Pseudacris cadaverina (part) [A]
| D. | jaw sheaths wide and massive; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.4; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 2.4; marginal papillae uniserial midventrally; few submarginal papillae laterally; fins high, although quite variable among sites; body never boldly mottled and tail muscle never banded; breeds in spring in temporary or permanent lentic sites from southwestern British Columbia to northern Idaho and south and west to southern California (sympatric: Pseudacris cadaverina and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris regilla (part) [B]
| E. | jaw sheaths narrow to medium; P-2/P-3 > 2.8; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap < 2.1; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae laterally; fins medium to high; dorsum uniformly dark (in clear water) or pale (in turbid water); tail muscle usually distinctly bicolored; usually lentic pools in open areas in central Arizona, southwestern Utah, and west-central Idaho (sympatric: Hyla wrightorum and Pseudacris regilla) |
Pseudacris triseriata (part) [B]
| F. | jaw sheaths medium; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.2; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 2.6; midventral marginal papillae biserial; few lateral submarginal papillae merge into marginal papillae; fins medium to low; small individuals with pale stripe extending posteriorly from eye onto tail and a white area below eye, larger individuals relatively uniformly dark; temporary sites with seasonal rains in south-central (= region of Ajo-Hickiwan- Sells), Arizona (sympatric: none) |
Pternohyla fodiens [A]
SECTION 6. LTR P-3: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C and 4-B - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; Rocky Mountains and east - [5] -
| A. | P-3 long, P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0 |
| B. | P-3 medium to short, P-2/P-3 > 1.2 |
SECTION 7. MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, LTR A-2, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4- B, and 6-A - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; Rocky Mountains and east; P-3 long, P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0 - [5] -
| A. | midventral marginal papillae bi- or triserial; few, scattered submarginal papillae laterally; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 3.0; uniformly tan in life with considerable uniformly distributed iridophore pigmentation, tan in preservative; slow parts of streams and remnant stream pools in scattered localities in eastern New Mexico, adjacent Colorado and Trans Pecos, Texas (sympatric: none) |
Hyla arenicolor (part) [A]
| B. | midventral marginal papillae biserial; dense patch of small submarginal papillae ventrolaterally; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap > 3.4; color and pattern extremely variable, in some areas, clear parts of fins reddish, yellow or orange coloration late in development; in some areas, fins remain relatively clear vs. heavily marked with large black blotches elsewhere; sites vary geographically from temporary lentic to permanent lentic throughout most of Great Plains east of central Texas and eastern North Dakota and most of region east of Mississippi River (highly variable and no known way to distinguish between these diploid/tetraploid tadpoles; sympatric: Hyla cinerea*, H. femoralis, and H. squirella*) |
Hyla chrysoscelis + H. versicolor (part) [B]
+
| C. | midventral marginal papillae biserial; dense patch of submarginal papillae ventrolaterally; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap > 5.0; body more or less uniformly brown or russet; basal two-thirds of tail muscle with prominent pale lateral stripe that remains in preservative; fin areas adjacent to tail muscle usually lacking or with less dense aggregations of melanic blotches compared with remainder of fin; clear parts of fins usually reddish in life; temporary lentic sites throughout Coastal Plain from Mississippi River to southeastern Virginia (geographic variations apparent = fins much higher, differently shaped, and more brightly colored at Tampa, Florida [central peninsula] and Crestview, Florida [panhandle] with more prominent flagellum than near Gulfport, Mississippi; sympatric: Hyla andersonii*, H. chrysoscelis + H. versicolor, Pseudacris brimleyi, and P. ocularis) |
Hyla femoralis [B]
| D. | midventral marginal papillae biserial, multiserial laterally; submarginal papillae absent; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 4.0; body uniformly brown, sometimes a pale line extends anteriorly onto body from upper base of tail muscle; temporary lentic sites in extreme southern Texas (sympatric: Hyla cinerea) |
Smilisca baudinii [A]
SECTION 8. RANGE RESTRICTIONS: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, and 6-B - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; Rocky Mountains and east; P-3 medium to short, P-2/P-3 > 1.2 - [5] -
| A. | Rocky Mountains to Mississippi River |
| B. | east of Mississippi River |
SECTION 9. CONFIGURATIONS OF LTRS P-3, P-1 AND A-2, LOWER JAW SHEATH, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, and 8-A - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; P-3 medium to short, P-2/P-3 > 1.2; Rocky Mountains to Mississippi River - [4] -
| A. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 2.3; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae biserial; several submarginal papillae scattered laterally; body mostly black, dorsum of tail muscle with white, silver or reddish bands that persist in preservative; a similarly colored band extends between eyes and stripes extending from each eye to the adjacent naris usually disappear in preservative; throat darkly pigmented; summer breeder, usually swampy sites with emergent woody vegetation, in parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana (sympatric: several hylids, but none with similar coloration) |
Hyla avivoca (part) [A]
| B. | P-2/P-3 ca. 2.2; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 3.5; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae biserial; several submarginal papillae scattered laterally; entire body dark or greenish with yellowish or yellow-green tinge and with pale lines converging from eyes to nares in life, dorsum of at least larger tadpoles with freckled pattern; throat speckled diffusely; temporary and permanent lentic sites with emergent vegetation from Louisiana north to southeastern Missouri and southwest to central Texas (sympatric: Hyla chrysoscelis + H. versicolor, H. squirella*, and Smilisca baudini) |
Hyla cinerea (part) [B]
| C. | P-2/P-3 ca. 1.4; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 4.6; lower jaw sheath medium; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae scattered laterally; uniformly brown or tan in life, sometimes entire body with bright golden hue, fins clear or with minor black markings in older tadpoles; throat speckled; usually temporary lentic sites in Coastal Plain from southern Texas to Mississippi River (extremely variable and difficult to identify consistently; sympatric: Hyla cinerea* and H. chrysoscelis* + H. versicolor*) |
Hyla squirella (part) [B]
| D. | P-2/P-3 ca. 2.3; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.7; lower jaw medium; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae laterally; dorsum uniformly medium brown to silvery depending on habitat turbidity; throat not pigmented; temporary, often grassy, lentic sites from Gulf of Mexico north through central Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer, P. streckeri*, and P. triseriata**) |
Pseudacris clarkii [B]
| E. | P-2/P-3 > 3.0; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 3.0; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae scattered laterally; dorsum uniformly medium brown to semi-transparent depending on habitat turbidity; throat speckled; usually temporary lentic sites, often in or near woods and with emergent vegetation, in early spring east of a line connecting southeastern coast of Texas and northwestern Illinois (sympatric: Pseudacris clarkii, P. streckeri, and P. triseriata**) |
Pseudacris crucifer (part) [B]
| F. | P-2/P-3 ca. 2.4; P-1 with medial gap; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 2.7; lower jaw sheath wide and massive; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae ventrolaterally; dorsum uniformly medium to dark brown; throat not pigmented; usually temporary lentic pools in western Montana and adjacent Idaho (fins vary tremendously in height even at neighboring localities; sympatric: Pseudacris triseriata) |
Pseudacris regilla (part) [A]
| G. | P-2/P-3 ca. 2.7; P-1 with medial gap; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. 2.8; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae biserial; few submarginal papillae ventrolaterally; dorsum uniformly gray to brown or with minor mottling if habitat is not turbid; throat not pigmented; usually temporary, grassy, lentic sites in open areas throughout much of eastern half of Texas and Oklahoma and parts of adjacent states plus southeastern Missouri and adjacent Arkansas (sympatric: Pseudacris clarkii*, P. crucifer, and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris streckeri (part) [B]
| H. | P-2/P-3 > 2.8; P-1 without medial gap; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap < 2.1; lower jaw sheath narrow to medium; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; submarginal papillae absent to sparse laterally; dorsum uniformly medium brown, sometimes with black dots, to semi-transparent if habitat turbid; throat not pigmented; usually temporary lentic sites in grasslands throughout most of designated area except western three-quarters of Texas and adjacent Oklahoma (sympatric: Pseudacris clarkii*, P. crucifer** and P. streckeri*) |
Pseudacris triseriata (part) [B]
SECTION 10. PROMINENT COLORATION AND LTR P-3: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, and 8-B - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; P-3 medium to short, P-2/P-3 > 1.2; east of Mississippi River - [5] -
| A. | body mostly black, dorsum of tail muscle with white, silver or reddish bands that persist in preservative; similarly-colored band extends between eyes and stripes extending from each eye to the adjacent naris usually disappear in preservative; throat darkly pigmented (based on melanic pigment; check with hand lens); P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; summer breeder, usually swampy sites with emergent woody vegetation in Coastal Plain minus peninsular Florida from southeastern South Carolina to the Mississippi River and north to southern Illinois (sympatric: several hylids, but none with similar coloration) |
Hyla avivoca (part) [A]
| B. | body mostly lightly pigmented brown, sometimes with golden hue in life; lateral surface of tail muscle with either pale stripe bordered dorsally and ventrally by black or sometimes upper black stripe predominates, and it is sometimes broken into series of blocks or blotches, margins of fins sometimes dark; throat immaculate; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.7; summer breeder in boggy, often small sites with emergent vegetation in three disjunct areas: New Jersey, North and South Carolina, and western panhandle of Florida (sympatric: Hyla cinerea, H. femoralis*, Pseudacris brimleyi, P. crucifer, and P. triseriata) |
Hyla andersonii [B]
| C. | body and tail uniformly lightly pigmented but with one black saddle at about mid-length of tail; throat not pigmented; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; summer breeder in temporary or permanent lentic sites, usually with emergent or floating vegetation in Coastal Plain from New Jersey to Mississippi River and north to southwestern Kentucky (sympatric: Hyla chrysoscelis + H. versicolor, H. cinerea, H. squirella, and Pseudacris ornata) |
Hyla gratiosa (part) [A]
| D. | body darkly pigmented; white ventral portion of tail coloration about 50% of basal muscle height and demarcation between them is distinct; pale (silver to orange) line of iridophores from eye to tail junction (largely disappear in preservative) sometimes extends onto tail to form pale stripe above black portion; throat distinctly pigmented, usually in spots; P-2/P-3 ca. > 3.0; spring breeder in temporary or permanent forest swamp pools in central Coastal Plain of Virginia to northeastern Georgia coast (sympatric: Pseudacris ocularis*, P. ornata*, and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris brimleyi (part) [B]
| E. | body darkly pigmented; white, ventral portion of tail coloration about 25% of basal muscle height; pale silver to orange stripe from eyes to tail base (usually disappears in preservative) may extend onto dorsolateral part of tail muscle as pale stripe above dark area; dark tail banded dorsally, at least in smaller specimens; fins with abundant diffuse blotches; dorsum of large specimens with discrete black dots; throat pigmented near oral disc; P-2/P-3 ca. 4.0; summer breeder usually in temporary lentic sites with emergent vegetation in southeastern Virginia to western part of Florida panhandle (sympatric: Pseudacris brimleyi*) |
Pseudacris ocularis (part) [B]
| F. | regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in this Section absent (tadpoles in above choices that loose all or part of specified patterns in preservative appear again in this track); length of P-3 variable |
SECTION 11. LTR P-3 AND TAIL MUSCLE COLORATION: Division 1, Sections 1- E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, 8-B, and 10-F - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; P-3 medium to short, P-2/P-3 > 1.2; east of Mississippi River; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent - [5] -
| A. | P-3 medium, P-2/P-3 1.3-1.6; lateral surface of tail muscle pigmented throughout (even if diffusely), mottled, or graded from dark dorsally to pale ventrally (i.e., not bicolored = black dorsal and white ventral parts with abrupt demarcation between them) |
| B. | P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 1.8; lateral surface of tail muscle pigmented throughout (even if diffusely), mottled, or graded from dark dorsally to pale ventrally (i.e., not bicolored = black dorsal and white ventral parts with abrupt demarcation between them) |
| C. | P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 1.8; lateral surface of tail muscle distinctly bicolored (i.e., black dorsal and white ventral parts with abrupt demarcation between them) |
SECTION 12. LOWER JAW SHEATH, LTR CONFIGURATIONS, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, 8-B, 10-F, and 11-A - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; east of Mississippi River; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent; P-3 medium, P-2/P-3 1.3-1.6; lateral surface of tail muscle pigmented throughout (even if diffusely), mottled, or graded from dark dorsally to pale ventrally (i.e., not bicolored) - [5] -
| A. | lower jaw sheath robust and very wide, half nearest serrated edge very black, remainder brown; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.5; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 4.6; midventral marginal papillae biserial; fins clear until tadpole gets quite large, then has punctate melanophores proximally and stellate ones distally, the latter often dilate at night to produce jet-black tail, a white line caused by lack of pigment in subintegumentary layers extends from each naris toward the adjacent eye, tail muscle lightly pigmented until tadpoles get large; throat not pigmented; summer breeder in temporary or permanent lentic sites, usually with emergent or floating vegetation in Coastal Plain from New Jersey to Mississippi River and north to southwestern Kentucky (sympatric: Hyla avivoca, H. chrysoscelis + H. versicolor, H. cinerea, H. squirella, Pseudacris nigrita, P. ocularis, P. ornata, and P. triseriata) |
Hyla gratiosa (part) [A]
| B. | lower jaw medium, entirely black; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.4; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 4.6; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; uniformly brown or tan in life, sometimes entire body with bright golden hue, fins clear or with minor black speckling in older tadpoles; throat speckled; usually temporary lentic sites in Coastal Plain from Mississippi River to southeastern Virginia (extremely variable and difficult to identify consistently; sympatric: Hyla cinerea*, H. chrysoscelis* + H. versicolor*, H. gratiosa, Pseudacris nigrita, and P. triseriata) |
Hyla squirella (part) [B]
SECTION 13. COLORATION, MARGINAL PAPILLAE, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, LOWER JAW SHEATH, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, 8-B, 10-F, and 11-B - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; east of Mississippi River; regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent; P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 1.8; lateral surface of tail muscle pigmented throughout (even if diffusely), mottled, or graded from dark dorsally to pale ventrally (i.e., not bicolored) - [3] -
| A. | throat diffusely pigmented (based on melanic pigment, check with hand lens); entire body dark or greenish with yellowish or yellow- green tinge and with pale lines converging from eyes to nares in life, dorsum of at least larger tadpoles with freckled pattern; midventral marginal papillae biserial; P-2/P-3 2.2; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 3.5; lower jaw sheath narrow; summer breeder in temporary and permanent lentic sites with emergent vegetation in Coastal Plain from Maryland to Mississippi River and north in Mississippi Embayment to southern Illinois (sympatric: Hyla chrysoscelis + H. versicolor, Pseudacris crucifer, P. streckeri, and P. triseriata) |
Hyla cinerea (part) [B]
| B. | throat not pigmented; dorsum uniformly medium brown; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; P-2/P-3 > 2.5; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 3.0; lower jaw sheath narrow; spring breeder in temporary pools, often in or near woodlands in southwestern Pennsylvania to northeastern Mississippi and central Alabama (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer** and P. triseriata**) |
Pseudacris brachyphona [B]
| C. | throat speckled with widely-spaced, large melanophores; dorsum uniformly medium brown to semi-transparent depending on habitat turbidity; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; P-2/P-3 > 2.8; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 3.0; lower jaw sheath narrow; spring breeder, usually in temporary lentic sites, often in or near woods and with emergent vegetation, throughout all designated area except southern half of Florida peninsula (sympatric: P. streckeri* and P. triseriata**) |
Pseudacris crucifer (part) [B]
| D. | throat pigmented with chains of punctate melanophores that form a reticulate pattern; dorsum uniformly dark to medium brown with pale dorsolateral stripes; midventral marginal papillae biserial; P-2/P-3 3.2; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 2.6; to 35 TL; lower jaw sheath narrow; spring breeder in temporary pools in open areas in Coastal Plain from southern Mississippi to North Carolina (sympatric: Pseudacris brimleyi*, P. crucifer, P. ocularis*, and P. ornata**) |
Pseudacris nigrita [B]
| E. | throat not pigmented; small specimens dark with distinctly bicolored tail that becomes less distinctly bicolored with age, older specimens nearly uniformly black or with minor mottling; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.9; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. > 4.0; to 65 TL; lower jaw sheath medium to wide; spring breeder in temporary or permanent forest swamp pools in southeastern Louisiana to North Carolina except for southern two-thirds of Florida peninsula (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer*, P. nigrita, and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris ornata (part) [B]
| F. | throat not pigmented; dorsum uniformly gray to brown or with minor mottling, if habitat turbid may be uniformly very pale; midventral marginal papillae biserial; P-2/P-3 ca. 2.7; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 2.8; lower jaw sheath narrow; spring breeder, usually in temporary, grassy, lentic sites in southwestern and north-central Illinois (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris streckeri (part) [B]
| G. | throat not pigmented; dorsum uniformly medium brown, sometimes with black dots, to semi-transparent if habitat turbid; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; P-2/P-3 > 2.7; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. < 2.1; lower jaw sheath narrow to medium; spring breeder, usually in temporary lentic sites in grasslands throughout the designated area but seldom gets onto Coastal Plain (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer**) |
Pseudacris triseriata (part) [B]
SECTION 14. THROAT PIGMENTATION, TOOTH ROW CONFIGURATIONS, SIZE, LOWER JAW SHEATH, MARGINAL AND SUBMARGINAL PAPILLAE, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Sections 1-C, 4-B, 6-B, 8-B, 10-F, and 11-C - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes lateral; east of Mississippi River regardless of size, stage or range, notable colors or patterns in Section 10 absent; P-3 short, P-2/P-3 > 1.8; lateral surface of tail muscle distinctly bicolored - [4] -
| A. | throat pigmented uniformly dark; P-2/P-3 > 3.0; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca. 1.0; to 35 TL; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; submarginal papillae lacking; white ventral portion of tail coloration about 50% of basal muscle height; pale (silver to orange) line of iridophores from eye to tail junction (largely disappear in preservative) sometimes extend onto tail to form pale stripe above black portion; chin and throat distinctly pigmented, usually in spots; spring breeder in temporary or permanent forest swamp pools in central Coastal Plain of Virginia to northeastern Georgia (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer, P. nigrita, P. ocularis**, and P. ornata*) |
Pseudacris brimleyi (part) [B]
| B. | throat lightly pigmented near oral disc; P-2/P-3 > 3.5; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap ca 5.0; to 30 TL; lower jaw sheath narrow; midventral marginal papillae biserial; few submarginal papillae ventrolaterally; white, ventral portion of tail coloration about 25% of basal muscle height; pale (silver to orange) stripe from eyes to tail base (usually disappears in preservative) may extend onto dorsolateral part of tail muscle as a pale stripe above dark area; dark tail banded dorsally, at least in smaller specimens; fins with abundant diffuse blotches; dorsum of large specimens with discrete black dots; fins of larger specimens with fairly uniform, diffuse pigmentation; summer breeder usually in temporary lentic sites with emergent vegetation in southeastern Virginia to western part of Florida panhandle (sympatric: several hylids, but only P. brimleyi** has a similar pattern) |
Pseudacris ocularis (part) [B]
| C. | throat not pigmented; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.9; length of one side of A-2/width of medial gap > 4.0; to 65 TL; lower jaw sheath medium to wide; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae scattered laterally; small specimens dark with distinctly bicolored tail that becomes less distinctly bicolored to almost unicolored with age; temporary or permanent forest swamp pools in southeastern Louisiana to North Carolina except for southern two- thirds of Florida peninsula (sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer*, P. nigrita, and P. triseriata) |
Pseudacris ornata (part) [B]
| D. | throat not pigmented; P-2/P-3 > 2.8; length of one side of A- 2/width of medial gap ca. < 2.1; to 35 TL; lower jaw narrow; midventral marginal papillae uniserial; few submarginal papillae scattered laterally; dorsum of tail muscle uniformly dark, bicolored condition more common in northern populations; winter and spring breeder, most common in temporary sites usually in open, grassy sites throughout most of designated area but seldom gets onto Coastal Plain (extremely variable; sympatric: Pseudacris crucifer**) |
Pseudacris triseriata (part) [B]
SECTION 15. COLORATION, LENGTH OF LTR P-3, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-E and 1-F; Division 4, Section 1-D - LTRF 2/3; narrow midventral gap in marginal papillae absent; eyes dorsal to dorsolateral (eye positions often mis-evaluated on these species) - [5] -
| A. | uniformly tan in life with considerable uniformly distributed iridophore pigmentation, tan in preservative; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.0; slow parts of streams and remnant stream pools throughout eastern three-quarters of Arizona and adjacent New Mexico and Utah plus scattered localities in eastern New Mexico, adjacent Colorado and Trans Pecos, Texas (sympatric: none) |
Hyla arenicolor (part) [A]
| B. | body of at least larger tadpoles boldly mottled, dorsum of tail muscle banded at least in younger tadpoles, usually faint in larger ones; P-2/P-3 ca. 1.7; slow-flowing lotic sites and adjacent lentic sites in southeastern California from San Luis Obispo Co. southward (sympatric: none) |
Pseudacris cadaverina (part)[A]
SECTION 1. ORAL APPARATUS AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-A and 2-A - [5] -
| A. | medial margins of oral flaps divergent and with smooth edges; temporary pools during summer; widespread east and west of Mississippi River |
Gastrophryne - Section 2
| B. | medial margins of oral flaps convergent and papillate or crenulate; temporary pools with seasonal rains; extreme southern Texas (sympatric: Gastrophryne olivacea and Rhinophrynus dorsalis) |
Hypopachus variolosus [B]
SECTION 2. COLORATION AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-A and 2-A; Division 5, Section 1-A - medial margins of oral flaps divergent and with smooth edges; west of Mississippi River - [3] -
| A. | dorsum mostly black in life (lighter at night) and preservative, never gray or brassy; belly dark with pale blotches and mottling; lateral pale tail stripe bright and distinct at least basally; temporary lentic sites formed by seasonal rains; eastern Texas north to central Missouri (sympatric: Gastrophryne olivacea*) |
Gastrophryne carolinensis (part) [A]
| B. | dorsum olive-gray to brown to brassy caused by profuse iridophore pigmentation in life; venter white or coppery in life; lateral tail stripe faint to absent; temporary lentic sites formed by seasonal rains; most of Nebraska south to southern Texas plus south-central Arizona (sympatric: Gastrophryne carolinensis* and Rhinophrynus dorsalis) |
Gastrophryne olivacea [B]
SECTION 1. SIZE, BUCCAL ANATOMY, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-B and 3-D - [4] -
| A. | to 100.0 TL; at least larger specimens with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of buccal cavity; Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean |
Spea (part) - Section 2
| B. | < 35.0 TL; never with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of buccal cavity; Great Plains east to Atlantic Ocean |
Scaphiopus - Section 5
SECTION 2. TROPHIC MORPHOLOGY, LTRF, BODY SHAPE, AND COLORATION: Division 1, Sections 1-B and 3-D; Division 6, Section 1-A - > 100.0 TL; often with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of buccal cavity; Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean - [5] -
| A. | cannibal morphotype - immensely hypertrophied jaw musculature visible through skin produces large-headed appearance (= widest part of body at about plane of eyes); margin of upper jaw sheath with pronounced medial convexity (= cuspate), margin of lower sheath with medial concavity; LTRF typically 4/4 but variable and tooth ridges often sparsely populated; body notably depressed; coloration highly variable relative to turbidity of habitat, but always uniform, iridophore pigmentation often prevails in life; to 100 TL |
| B. | non-cannibal morphotype - jaw musculature normally proportioned, widest part of body at about middle of abdomen; margins of upper and lower jaw sheaths follow uniform track; LTRF typically 4/4 but variable, tooth rows usually well formed; body globular; coloration highly variable relative to turbidity of habitat, but always uniform, iridophore pigmentation often prevails; tail tip bluntly pointed; to 80 TL |
SECTION 3. RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-B and 3-D; Division 6, Sections 1-A and 2-A - to 100.0 TL; at least larger specimens with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of the buccal cavity; Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean; cannibal morphotype - [2, in sympatry] -
| A. | most of western Great Plains from Trans Pecos area of Texas west into Arizona and adjacent Utah and north to southern Alberta and adjacent British Columbia (sympatric: Scaphiopus couchii, S. hurterii, and Spea multiplicata**) |
Spea bombifrons (part) [B]
| B. | Central Valley of California and west (sympatric: none) |
Spea hammondii (part) [B]
| C. | Great Basin from south-central British Columbia to southern Nevada and east through Idaho and Utah, mostly allopatric to all other pelobatids (sympatric: Spea multiplicata) |
Spea intermontana (part) [B]
| D. | eastern half of Texas west through most of Arizona (sympatric: Scaphiopus couchii, Spea intermontana**, and S. bombifrons**) |
Spea multiplicata (part) [B]
SECTION 4. RANGE:Division 1, Sections 1-B and 3-D; Division 6, Sections 1-A and 2-B - to 100.0 TL; at least larger specimens with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of buccal cavity; Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean; non-cannibal morphotype - [2, in sympatry] -
| A. | most of western Great Plains from Trans Pecos area of Texas west into Arizona and adjacent Utah and north to southern Alberta and adjacent British Columbia (sympatric: Scaphiopus couchii, S. hurterii, and Spea multiplicata**) |
Spea bombifrons (part) [B]
| B. | Central Valley of California and west (sympatric: none) |
Spea hammondii (part) [B]
| C. | Great Basin from south-central British Columbia to southern Nevada and east through Idaho and Utah, mostly allopatric to all other pelobatids (sympatric: Spea multiplicata) |
Spea intermontana (part) [B]
| D. | eastern half of Texas west through most of Arizona (sympatric: Scaphiopus couchii, Spea intermontana**, and S. bombifrons**) |
Spea multiplicata (part) [B]
SECTION 5. LTRF, COLORATION, AND RANGE: Division 1, Sections 1-B and 3- D; Division 6, Sections 1-B - < 35.0 TL; never with keratinized knob on roof of anterior part of buccal cavity; Great Plains to Atlantic Ocean - [4] -
| A. | LTRF 4/4; brassy in life with haphazard black marks on distal third of tail muscle; southwestern Oklahoma south to Gulf of Mexico and west to southeastern California (sympatric: Scaphiopus hurterii, Spea bombifrons, and S. multiplicata) |
Scaphiopus couchii [B]
| B. | LTRF 6/6; brown to bronze with no contrasting markings on tail muscle; northeastern third of Arkansas and adjacent Missouri and much of area east of Mississippi River south of latitude of southern Ohio (sympatric: none) |
Scaphiopus holbrookii [A]
| C. | LTRF 6/6; brown to bronze with no contrasting markings on tail muscle; eastern third of Texas and Oklahoma and adjacent Arkansas and Louisiana (sympatric: Scaphiopus couchii and Spea bombifrons) |
Scaphiopus hurterii (not illustrated) [C]