Wildlife Clinic

Species

Brimley's chorus frog

Pseudacris brimleyi

A chorus frog of Atlantic coastal swamps that reaches southeast Georgia.

A Brimley's chorus frog among dry grass, brown with dark stripes along its back and a dark band through the eye.

Photo iNaturalist user: harrier (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size
About 2.5 to 3.5 cm long
Habitat
Swamps, bottomland forests and wet woods near the coast
Diet
Small insects
In Georgia
The Atlantic Coastal Plain of southeast Georgia
Voice
A rasping, rising trill
Rabies vector
No

Identification

Key marks
Tan with three dark stripes down the back; a dark stripe through the eye; spotted chest
Told apart from
Upland chorus frog, which has a plain chest and lives mostly farther inland
Where to look
Heard from wooded swamps in late winter

Behaviour

It breeds in late winter and early spring in shallow, flooded woods.

Why they matter

It is one of the frogs of coastal bottomland forests, a habitat much reduced by drainage.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Eggs — Small clusters on submerged plants
Hatching — In a week or two
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in a couple of months
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — Late winter

Living around people

  • It is rarely met; leaving wet woods undrained keeps it.

Misconceptions

  • All chorus frogs sound the same. Each has its own call.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
BreedingJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
Active nestsJan: noFeb: noMar: noApr: noMay: noJun: noJul: noAug: noSep: noOct: noNov: noDec: no
NotesBreedingBreedingBreedingYoung frogsOn landOn landOn landOn landOn landOn landOn landBreeding begins

Where it lives

Recorded in 4 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

If you found one

Answer a few questions and you will get a specific answer for what you are looking at.

I found an animal