Elk River Basin - Amphibians
Amphibians include species like frogs and salamanders that require a moist place to live.
Some amphibians live in the river while others live
along the shoreline under logs, grass or mud. Most
amphibians require a moist area to lay eggs.
During spring and summer frogs can be heard making “chirping” noises next to the river.
Some noises may be deep like the sound from a
bullfrog. Other frogs like spring peepers make
high pitched noises. Frogs use these
vocalizations to communicate with one another.
There are twenty-nine species of amphibians in the Elk River Basin,
including 14 species of salamanders and 15 species of frogs.
Amphibian species found in the Elk River Basin.
Common
Name |
Scientific
Name |
Range |
|
Salamanders
|
|
Ringed
salamander |
Ambystoma
annulatum |
Basinwide |
Spotted
salamander |
Ambystoma
maculatum |
Basinwide |
Marbled
salamander |
Ambystoma
opacum |
Eastern
counties of the basin |
Smallmouth
salamander |
Ambystoma
texanum |
Western
counties of the basin |
Eastern
tiger salamander |
Ambystoma
tigrinum tigrinum |
Basinwide |
Central
newt |
Notophthalmus
viridescens louisianensis |
Basinwide |
Longtail
salamander |
Eurycea
longicauda |
Basinwide |
Cave
salamander |
Eurycea
lucifuga |
Basinwide |
Graybelly
salamander |
Eurycea
multiplicata griseogaster |
Basinwide |
SimSun;
"Times New Roman";Oklahoma
salamander |
Eurycea
tynerensis |
Basinwide |
Ozark
zigzag salamander |
Plethodon
dorsalis angusticlavius |
Basinwide |
Slimy
salamander |
Plethodon
glutinosus glutinosus |
Basinwide |
Grotto
salamander |
Typhlotriton
spelaeus |
Basinwide |
Red
River
mudpuppy |
Necturus
maculosis louisianensis |
Basinwide |
|
Frogs
and Toads |
|
Dwarf
American toad |
Bufo
americanus charlesmithi |
Basinwide |
Fowler’s
toad |
Bufo
woodhousei fowleri |
Basinwide |
Woodhouse’s
toad |
Bufo
woodhousei woodhousei |
possibly
in
Newton
County
|
Blanchard’s
cricket frog |
Acris
crepitans blanchardi |
Basinwide |
Northern
spring peeper |
Hyla
crucifer crucifer |
Basinwide |
Cope’s
gray treefrog |
Hyla
chrysoscelis |
Basinwide |
Western
chorus frog |
Pseudacris
triseriata |
Basinwide |
Eastern
narrowmouth toad |
Gastrophryne
carolinensis |
Basinwide |
Great
Plains
narrowmouth toad |
Gastrophryne
olivacea |
Western
counties of the basin |
Northern
crawfish frog |
Rana
areolata circulosa |
Western
counties of the basin |
Bullfrog |
Rana
catesbeiana |
Basinwide |
Green
frog |
Rana
clamitans |
Basinwide |
Pickerel
frog |
Rana
palustris |
Basinwide |
Southern
leopard frog |
Rana
sphenocephala |
Basinwide |
Wood
frog |
Rana
sylvatica |
Eastern
counties of the basin |
Source:
Missouri Department of Conservation, available at http://www.conservation.mo.gov/fish/watershed/elk/biotic/010bct17.htm.
Grotto
Salamander
Source:
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/content/animals/photo/4528.html
Ringed Salamander
|
Ambystoma annulatum (Cope, 1886)
Ringed Salamander) |
|
|
Photo © Suzanne L. Collins, Center for North American Herpetology (cnah.org)
Source: http://www.livingunderworld.org/caudata/database/ambysto
Pickerel frog
Source: http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/amphibians/frogs_toads/pickerelFrog.html
|
