Description: Adult southern chorus frogs' skin is brown, gray, or tan. These frogs have three distinguishable, longitudinal stripes or linear rows of spots on their dorsum. There is also a white line that runs along their pointy snout and upper lip, and they have dark bands along their eyes. Male chorus frogs have an olive color or a rusty orange throat; females’ throats are lighter. The skin of these frogs is mainly smooth except for some granular bumps on their dorsum. Male and female southern chorus frogs differ slightly in size; males range in SVL from 0.8 to 1.2 inches and females are slightly larger, 0.85 to 1.3 inches SVL.
As tadpoles, they possess a light stripe that begins at the eye and continues to their tail. They have brown tails on the dorsal side, often with black spotting, but tails are lighter on the ventral side. Bodies are darker, either brown or black, and they have yellow or spotting throughout the dorsum. Like the tail, the ventral side of the body is lighter in color. At hatching, southern chorus frogs' total length averages 0.175 inches. They continue to grow as tadpoles until they reach a total length of 1.35 inches. Post-metamorphosis, young frogs have a SVL that ranges from 0.33 to 0.6 inches.
Habitat: Southern chorus frogs inhabit pine flatwoods, pine-oak forests, sandhills, and cleared and otherwise disturbed habitats. Most of the year these frogs are primarily terrestrial, and they may burrow among plant material or into the ground when conditions are unsuitable for surface activity. Breeding sites include flooded grassy depressions, roadside ditches, margins of shallow ponds, sinkhole ponds, and other temporary pools, often including those in distrubed areas. Females attach eggs to submerged vegetation.
Range: Range encompasses the southeastern United States from Virginia and eastern North Carolina south to southern Florida, and west to southern Mississippi.
Diet: Metamorphosed frogs eat various small invertebrates obtained at ground level. Larvae eat organic debris, algae, and plant tissue.
Reproduction: Breeding occurs from fall to early spring (winter peak) in the northern part of the range, in any month in Florida. Calling may occur day or night. Egg-laying usually is associated with heavy rains. Eggs hatch in several days. Aquatic larvae metamorphose into the terrestrial form in about 50 days (6-8 weks). Individuals are sexually mature in one year and few live longer than that. These frogs are seldom found outside the breeding season.
Status: Southern chorus frogs are listed as species of “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. A major threat to southern chorus frogs is habitat loss. As a species that relies on pine (Pinus) forests and wetlands across their range, loss of both habitats for urban and commercial development has the potential to cause significant harm. For example, compared to historical land coverage, longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests have declined by more than 99%. The conversion of these lands to commercial pine plantations, suppression of fire on which longleaf pines depend, and changing of wetland placement on the landscape all pose threats to these frogs. Development of roads and railroads also make it more difficult for southern chorus frogs to reach a suitable habitat.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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