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Southern crawfish frog, L. a. areolatus

The crawfish frog (Lithobates areolatus)[1] is a medium-sized species of frog native to the prairies and grasslands of the central United States.[2] It gets its name because it inhabits the burrows of crayfish for most of the year. L. areolatus have defined golden or black circles all over their body.[3]

Description

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The crawfish frog grows from 2.2 to 3.0 in (5.6 to 7.6 cm) in length.[4] It ranges from yellow to brown in color, with a white ventral surface. The numerous dark brown spots on the back of L. areolatus each has a light-colored ring around it.[5] This species has a distinct skin fold on either side of its back, which are much more pronounced in males than females, and a relatively small tympanum.[4]

Behavior

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Crawfish frogs are found primarily in association with prairie or grassland habitat, though they will also make use of pastures and overgrown fields.[2] This species spends most of the year in association with a terrestrial crayfish burrow.[6] L. areolauts spends a substantial amount of time active and above ground even on hot summer days, but they never stray far from their burrow which serves as an important retreat from predators, a vital source of water, an escape from grassland fires, and a means to get below the frost line during winter.[6] Crawfish frogs feed opportunistically on insects and other small invertebrates that pass by their burrow.[7]

The crawfish frog breeds following mild, rainy weather in mid-March throughout most of its range (breeding occurs much earlier in the southern portion of its distribution).[2] During this time, males seek out ephemeral ponds and wetlands that lack fish and begin calling.[2] The low-frequency call may carry over a mile, drawing females in from the surrounding area.[8] Once the females arrive, amplexus is likely to take place[9] and the females deposit up to 7,000 eggs at a time in large, globular masses.[10] The eggs hatch in an average of 12 days, and tadpoles metamorphose into froglets within three or four months.[11] The newly metamorphosed juvenile frogs immediately seek out a crayfish burrow to occupy to avoid predation.[6] Crawfish frogs become sexually mature at two to three years of age and may live up to seven years or more in the wild.

Geographic Range

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The crawfish frog is found in portions of central and southern United States,[12] from Indiana west to Kansas, south to Texas, and east to Mississippi. This species is largely associated with former prairie regions where crawfish burrows are found, but with the effects of climate change along with urbanization, many populations have been extirpated.[13]

In 2016 a sizable population was documented in Sumter County, Alabama.[14]

A new county record was added in 2017 in Perry County, Arkansas within the Ouachita Mountains. See Notes below.

Conservation Status

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The crawfish frog is listed as near threatened or conservation dependent by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species[15], and is listed as endangered in Iowa (where it has likely been extirpated)[16] and Indiana. According to the IUCN Red List, habitat loss is the biggest threat to this species, though disease (chytridiomycosis) and competitive pressure from other anurans have also been identified as potential stresses.[15]

Conservation efforts are focused on protecting L. areolatus habitat. Crawfish frogs can travel more than 1 km between ponds during the breeding season,[6] indicating that protected regions should be large enough to include multiple ponds.[17] Within these protected areas, mowing, plowing, and heavy vehicle use should all be limited in the summer.[13] Additional conservation strategies include genetic management.[17] This method of conservation is unlikely to take place until crawfish frog populations decrease significantly. If genetic management is required, recent studies have shown that genetic diversity within L. areolatus populations is strong and should be enough to maintain fitness.[17]

Subspecies

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Northern crawfish frog, L. a. circulosus

The two subspecies of crawfish frog (L. areolatus) are:

  • Southern crawfish frog, L. a. areolatus (Baird & Girard, 1852)
  • Northern crawfish frog, L. a. circulosus (Davis and Rice, 1883)

Notes

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LITHOBATES AREOLATUS CIRCULOSUS (Northern Crawfish Frog). USA: ARKANSAS: Perry Co.: Off Cherry Hill Loop Rd. (Co. Rd. 42), ca. 1.6 km S of St. Hwy 60 (34.967367ºN, 92.939558ºW; WGS 84, elev. 96.93 m) 23 February 2017. Anthony Holt. Verified by Christopher S. Thigpen. Arkansas State University Museum of Zoology (ASUMZ 33611). Calling adult male collected by hand from a tractor tire rut in a cattle pasture. New county record (Trauth et al. 2004. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 421 pp.). Adds an additional record within the Fourche Mountain subdivision of the Ouachita Mountains.

References

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  1. ^ FROST, DARREL R.; GRANT, TARAN; FAIVOVICH, JULIÁN; BAIN, RAOUL H.; HAAS, ALEXANDER; HADDAD, CÉLIO F.B.; DE SÁ, RAFAEL O.; CHANNING, ALAN; WILKINSON, MARK; DONNELLAN, STEPHEN C.; RAXWORTHY, CHRISTOPHER J.; CAMPBELL, JONATHAN A.; BLOTTO, BORIS L.; MOLER, PAUL; DREWES, ROBERT C. (2006). "THE AMPHIBIAN TREE OF LIFE". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 297: 1–291. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2006)297[0001:tatol]2.0.co;2. ISSN 0003-0090.
  2. ^ a b c d Busby, William H.; Brecheisen, William R. (1997). "Chorusing Phenology and Habitat Associations of the Crawfish Frog, Rana areolata (Anura: Ranidae), in Kansas". The Southwestern Naturalist. 42 (2): 210–217. ISSN 0038-4909.
  3. ^ Hoffman, Andrew S.; Heemeyer, Jennifer L.; Williams, Perry J.; Robb, Joseph R.; Karns, Daryl R.; Kinney, Vanessa C.; Engbrecht, Nathan J.; Lannoo, Michael J. (2010). "Strong Site Fidelity and a Variety of Imaging Techniques Reveal Around-the-Clock and Extended Activity Patterns in Crawfish Frogs (Lithobates areolatus)". BioScience. 60 (10): 829–834. doi:10.1525/bio.2010.60.10.9. ISSN 1525-3244.
  4. ^ a b "Education". www2.illinois.gov. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  5. ^ "Crawfish Frog – INHS Herpetology Collection". Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  6. ^ a b c d Heemeyer, Jennifer L.; Williams, Perry J.; Lannoo, Michael J. (2012-02-23). "Obligate crayfish burrow use and core habitat requirements of crawfish frogs". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 76 (5): 1081–1091. doi:10.1002/jwmg.357. ISSN 0022-541X.
  7. ^ Crawford, John A.; Shepard, Donald B.; Conner, Christopher A. (2009-12-29). "Diet Composition and Overlap between Recently Metamorphosed Rana areolata and Rana sphenocephala: Implications for a Frog of Conservation Concern". Copeia. 2009 (4): 642–646. doi:10.1643/ch-08-125. ISSN 0045-8511.
  8. ^ Lannoo, Michael J.; Stiles, Rochelle M. (2020-03-16). "The Call of the Crawfish Frog". doi:10.1201/9780429343278. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Kinney, Vanessa C.; Heemeyer, Jennifer L.; Pessier, Allan P.; Lannoo, Michael J. (2011-03-10). "Seasonal Pattern of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection and Mortality in Lithobates areolatus: Affirmation of Vredenburg's "10,000 Zoospore Rule"". PLoS ONE. 6 (3): e16708. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016708. ISSN 1932-6203.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  10. ^ Lannoo, Michael J.; Stiles, Rochelle M. (2017). "Effects of Short-term Climate Variation on a Long-lived Frog". Copeia. 105 (4): 726–733. doi:10.1643/ch-16-449. ISSN 0045-8511.
  11. ^ Parris, Matthew J.; Semlitsch, Raymond D. (1998-08-10). "Asymmetric competition in larval amphibian communities: conservation implications for the northern crawfish frog, Rana areolata circulosa". Oecologia. 116 (1–2): 219–226. doi:10.1007/pl00013822. ISSN 0029-8549.
  12. ^ Williams, Perry J.; Robb, Joseph R.; Karns, Daryl R. (2012). "Habitat Selection by Crawfish Frogs (Lithobates areolatus) in a Large Mixed Grassland/Forest Habitat". Journal of Herpetology. 46 (4): 682–688. doi:10.1670/11-144. ISSN 0022-1511.
  13. ^ a b Lannoo, Michael J.; Stiles, Rochelle M.; Sisson, Michael A.; Swan, Jonathan W.; Terrell, Vanessa C. K.; Robinson, Kelly E. (2017). "Patch Dynamics Inform Management Decisions in a Threatened Frog Species". Copeia. 105 (1): 53–63. doi:10.1643/ch-16-499. ISSN 0045-8511.
  14. ^ "New species of tiny frog found". New Scientist. 226 (3025): 17. 2016-03-17. doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(15)30552-2. ISSN 0262-4079.
  15. ^ a b "IUCN Red List". 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  16. ^ Engbrecht, Nathan; Lannoo, Michael (2010). "A REVIEW OF THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF CRAWFISH FROGS (LITHOBATES AREOLATUS) IN INDIANA". Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science: 64–73.
  17. ^ a b c Nunziata, Schyler O.; Lannoo, Michael J.; Robb, Joseph R.; Karns, Daryl R.; Lance, Stacey L.; Richter, Stephen C. (2013). "Population and Conservation Genetics of Crawfish Frogs,Lithobates areolatus, at Their Northeastern Range Limit". Journal of Herpetology. 47 (2): 361–368. doi:10.1670/12-034. ISSN 0022-1511.
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