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Amphibians of Florida

Amphibians of Florida. Amphibians. Moist glandular skin (NO SCALES!) Pass (aquatic) larval stage as young Amphibios – From the Greek meaning “living a double life” Toes without claws Made up of three Orders: Anura (frogs & toads) Caudata (salamanders) Gymnophiona (caecilians).

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Amphibians of Florida

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  1. Amphibians of Florida

  2. Amphibians • Moist glandular skin (NO SCALES!) • Pass (aquatic) larval stage as young • Amphibios – From the Greek meaning “living a double life” • Toes without claws • Made up of three Orders: • Anura (frogs & toads) • Caudata (salamanders) • Gymnophiona (caecilians)

  3. Order Anura • FROGS!!!! • Thick head and body with long, strong legs • Often advertise presence (especially during the breeding season) with a wide range of calls

  4. Family Bufonidae • Toads! • Have dry, glandular (warty) skin • Hop

  5. Bufo marinus • EXOTIC! (South America) • Huge size • Skin gland secretions can be highly toxic • Marine Toad / Giant Toad / Cane Toad

  6. Bufo quercicus • Tiny size • Conspicuous, light middorsal stripe • Oak Toad Photo By: J. Jensen

  7. Bufo terrestris • Large knobs & high cranial crests • Extremely abundant • Southern Toad Photo By: T. Blunden Photo By: J. Jensen

  8. Family Hylidae • Cricket Frogs, Treefrogs & Chorus Frogs! Acris Hyla Pseudacris • Many species have enlarged, round toepads • Mostly relatively small-sized • Known for their wide variety of vocalizations

  9. Acris gryllus • Small size with slightly warty skin • Often bright green Y between eyes extends down the back • In Florida, back of thigh has two dark stripes • Southern Cricket Frog Photo By: W. Knapp

  10. Hyla avivoca • Greyish overall coloration with white spot under eye • Inner sides of thigh with greenish-yellowish wash • Similar to but smaller than Hyla chrysoscelis • Bird-voiced Treefrog Photos By: W. Knapp

  11. Hyla chrysoscelis • Greyish overall coloration with white spot under the eye • Inner thighs with orange – yellow wash • Similar to but larger than Hyla avivoca • Cope’s Gray Treefrog Photo By: W. Knapp

  12. Hyla cineria • Long body shape • Well defined light lateral line • Many have tiny golden spots on their backs Photo By: T. Blunden Photo By: T. Blunden Green Treefrog

  13. Hyla femoralis Photo By: W. Knapp • Bright yellow-orange spots on inside of thigh (femoralis….) • Very variable overall coloration (grey, green, brown, patterned, uniform etc) • Pine Woods Treefrog Photos By: W. Kapp

  14. Hyla gratiosa • Large round spots on back • Rugose skin • Large size • Large toepads • Dependent on fishless, ephemeral ponds for breeding • Barking Treefrog Photo By: T. Blunden Photo By: T. Blunden Photo By: T. Blunden

  15. Hyla squirrela • Rule out other frogs first! • Extremely variable overall coloration • No strong inner thigh markings • Extremely common, even in residential areas • Squirrel Treefrog Photo By: J. Jensen

  16. Osteopilus septentrionalis • Introduced species • Large!! • Forehead skin fused to bone • Usually a yellow wash near groin • Often found in urban/suburban environments, but can also invades natural areas • Range is still expanding northward. • CubanTreefrog

  17. Pseudacris crucifer • Dark imperfect “X” marking on back • Pinkish, yellowish, brown or grey background color • Early winter breeder • Spring Peeper Photo By: J. Jensen

  18. Pseudacris nigrita Photo By: J. Jensen • Three dorsal stripes (tend to break up near groin) • Prominent white lip line • Southern Chorus Frog Photo By: W. Kapp

  19. Pseudacris ocularis • Smallest Frog in North America • Prominent dark line through eye (ocularis...) • Usually found in small grassy wetlands • Little Grass Frog Photo By: T. Blunden

  20. Pseudacris ornata • Black mask-like stripe through eye • Ornate Chorus Frog • Dark spots on sides & near groin Photo By: A. Day

  21. Family Leptodactylidae • 1,110 species including 700 in the genus Eleutherodactylus (largest vertebrate genus) • Usually small • Mostly Tropical

  22. Eleutherodactylus planirostrus • Introduced species • Small terrestrial frog • Call is very insect like • Undergoes metamorphosis in the egg (there is no free swimming larvae) • Greenhouse Frog Photo By: T. Blunden

  23. Family Microhylidae • Narrow-mouthed frogs (Also known as Sheepfrogs) • Characterized by skin fold across back of head • Specialize on beetles, ants & ant lions

  24. Gastrophryne carolinensis • Tiny, pointy head, fat round body • Skin fold on back of head • Eastern Narrowmouth Toad Photo By: W. Kapp

  25. Family Pelobatidae • American Spadefoots • Use single, bladelike spade on back feet to burrow rapidly down in loose soil • Explosive breeders after heavy rains

  26. Scaphiophus holbrookii • Horny black spade on hind foot • Vertical pupil • Pale lyre / hourglass shape on dark back • Eastern Spadefoot Toad Photo By: W. Knapp Photo By: W. Kapp Photo By: A. Day

  27. Family Ranidae • True frogs! • Typical frogs with long legs, narrow waists and smooth, moist skin • Many have dorsolateral folds • Leap • Found on all continents except Antartica • Source of culinary frog legs

  28. Rana capito • Short body, pointy snout • Light background color with large dark spots • Found in xeric uplands • Usually uses Gopher Tortoise burrows as refugia • Gopher Frog Photo By: T. Blunden

  29. Rana catesbiana • Mostly plain green or brown above • No dorsolateral ridges • Some mottling below • Webbing on 4th hind toes does not fully extend to tip • Bull Frog Photo by T. Blunden Photo By: J. Jensen

  30. Rana clamitans • Plain brown/bronzy back • Incomplete dorsolateral ridges • Center of tympanum elevated • Green / Bronze Frog Photo By: J. Jensen

  31. Rana grylio • Large, plain frog, very sim. to R. catesbiana • Webbing on 4th hind toes extends fully to tip • No dorsolateral ridges • Pig Frog Photo By: T. Lamb

  32. Rana heckscheri • Large, greenish black frog with light spots on the lips • No dorsolateral ridges • Dark below with light markings • River Frog Photo By: A. Day

  33. Rana sphenocephala • Green or brown frog with darker spots • Strong dorsolateral ridges, often light colored • Light spot in center of tympanum • Southern / Florida Leopard Frog • Called Rana utricularia in Peterson’s Field Guide Photo By: D. Stevenson

  34. Order Caudata • SALAMANDERS!!!! • The Americas have more salamanders than the rest of the world combined, and the southeastern US has more salamanders than anywhere else in North America.

  35. Family Ambystomatidae • Mole salamanders! • Fossorial • Tend to be stout with large heads

  36. Ambystoma cingulatum • Medium background color with lighter, netlike pattern • Rare species • Inhabitant of longleaf pine-wiregrass flatwoods with cypress heads • Dependent on fishless ponds to breed • Flatwoods Salamander Photo By: J. Jensen

  37. Ambystoma talpoidium • Chunky body with large head • Dark overall coloration with bluish-grey flecks • Mole Salamander Photos By: J. Jensen

  38. Family Amphiumidae • Eel-like • Tiny front AND back legs • No external gills

  39. Amphiuma means • Eel-like, LARGE • Four tiny legs with two toes each • Almost completely aquatic, but may move overland on extremely wet nights in flooded areas • Two-toed Amphiuma, congo eel, conger eel, lamper eel, ditch eel Photo By: J. Jensen Photo By: K. Sorenson

  40. Family Plethodontidae • Lungless salamanders! • Respire through the skin • Tend to be slender with long tails • Have a nasolabial groove • Found most commonly in areas with some kind of running water (streams, seeps, springs & waterfalls)

  41. Desmognathus apalachicola • 10-14 pairs of light, often coalescing dorsal spots w/ black fringes • Belly pure white • Apalachicola Dusky Salamander

  42. Desmognathus auriculatus • Dark overall • Series of “portholes” along sides of body and tail • Associated with cypress ponds and stagnant pools • Southern Dusky Salamander Photo by: B. Means

  43. Eurycea cirrigera • Two dark lines bordering yellowish middorsal stripe • Tail longer than body • Five toes on hind feet • Southern Two-lined Salamander Photo By: J. Jensen

  44. Eurycea longicauda • Three dark stripes on yellow background • Tail longer than body • Five toes on hind feet • Three-lined Salamander (listed as Eurycea longicauda guttolineatta in Peterson’s) Photo By: J. Jensen

  45. Eurycea quadridigittata • Very tiny size • Four toes on hind feet • Three dark stripes on lighter background • Dwarf Salamander Photo By: D. Stevenson

  46. Plethodon grobmani • Long, skinny, mostly black salamander with light flecks • Distinct costal grooves • Southeastern Slimy Salamander (part of P.glutinosus complex)

  47. Pseudotriton montanus • Plain rusty brown color above • Pale venter with sparse dark speckles • Eastern / Rusty Mud Salamander (listed as P. m. floridanus in guide) Photo By: W. Van Devender

  48. Pseudotriton ruber • Reddish orange above with white flecking, esp. concentrated on head • Belly pale with many small black speckles • Red Salamander (ours listed as P. r. vioscai in guide) Photo By: J. Jensen

  49. Family Salamandridae • Newts! • Terrestrial stage with rough, glandular skin • Some species may have complicated life cycles: Egg  Larva  Eft  Adult AQUATIC AQUATIC TERRESTRIAL AQUATIC

  50. Notopthalmus perstriatus • Small with rough skin • Light colored with dark spots • Red dorsolateral stripes (faint on specimen – look hard!) • Dependent on fishless ponds to breed – RARE • Striped Newt Photos By: J. Jensen

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