Pickerel frog
American marsh frog ( Rana palustris)
The American marsh frog ( Rana palustris, synonym: Lithobates palustris), more precisely: North American marsh frog, is a Froschlurch from the family of the Real frogs ( Ranidae ). It is widespread in the eastern U.S. and Canada.
Appearance
The type reached a body length of 4.4 to 7.8 cm. The main color of the American marsh frog is brown. The skin is smooth and has poison glands. A light line that runs along the upper jaw. The frog has many dorsal spots, whose border is white, the color of the spots is dark brown. Yellow or orange stains on spots exist on the hind limbs. The eyes are beige to yellow. The tadpoles are yellow and are 1.9 to 2.7 cm in size.
Dissemination
The American marsh frog is native to eastern North America. The distribution begins in the south of the province of Quebec in Canada and extends south through the eastern corner of the U.S. state of Minnesota to the east of Texas. The southern limit of distribution is found in the western part of Florida, Alabama and Georgia, there is limited populations, the southern distribution area extends east to South Carolina. In the eastern part of the range is the northern border in Nova Scotia. In North America it is English or French Pickerel Frog Grenouille des marais called.
The borders of the distribution area are especially in the north where it intersects with that of the leopard frog, not always reliable, because confusion is not excluded.
The American marsh frog preferred cool, clear water. It is encountered in ponds and lakes in the coastal plains he prefers wetlands and floodplains, in karst areas it is often found near caves.
Way of life
The hibernation lasts from November to February in the spring, the frogs mate. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 eggs are deposited in several spherical spawn clumps, which are fixed by the female submerged aquatic plants. The eggs are on average 1.7 millimeters in size and surrounded by two cladding layers. The tadpoles need 70 to 80 days for their development to the frog. The American marsh frog is like most anurans nocturnal. Activity is promoted by heavy rains. If the frog attacked, he secretes toxins.
Croak
The two vocal sacs of the male are well trained and easily viewable in Balzrufen. The mating call, which can take one to two seconds, sounds like a short pulsating snoring or croak, followed by a chuckle.
Endangering
The American marsh frog is like most amphibians threatened by draining and development of wetlands. When American marsh frog is also the fact that he has to rely on very clean clear water. Thus it is in nearby cities, such as in the vicinity of Chicago, no longer to be found. It is classified in the red list, in "Category 3" ( least concern ).
Taxonomy
In 1983, the American marsh frog from Hillis et al. within the subgenus Rana (Rana ) placed in the Rana areolata subset of the Rana pipiens complex. 2006 beat Frost et al. the right to charge the American marsh frog in the genus Lithobates. DM Hillis advised, however, await further molecular genetic studies in order to establish new genre boundaries within the group better. He set the frog as Rana ( Nenirana ) palustris in the subgenus Nenirana.