Species
Ornate chorus frog
Pseudacris ornata
A colourful chorus frog of southern pine flatwoods that breeds in winter pools.
Photo Dr. Andrew G. Cannizzaro (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 2.5 to 3.5 cm long
- Habitat
- Pine flatwoods, savannas and fields with temporary ponds
- Diet
- Small insects
- In Georgia
- The Coastal Plain
- Voice
- A series of high, bell-like peeps
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Variable colour from green to red-brown; a bold dark stripe through the eye; dark patches on the sides and groin
- Told apart from
- Other chorus frogs, which lack the bold side patches
- Where to look
- Heard from grassy temporary ponds in winter
Behaviour
Ornate chorus frogs breed in winter in shallow, grassy pools and spend the rest of the year in burrows.
Why they matter
They have declined with the loss of open, fire-maintained pine flatwoods and their seasonal ponds.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Eggs — Small clusters on submerged grass
Hatching — In a week or two
Tadpoles — Change into frogs in about 3 months
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years
Calling — In winter
Living around people
- Grassy, temporary ponds in open pine woods are what it needs.
Misconceptions
- Colourful frogs are poisonous. This one is harmless.
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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Breeding | Breeding | Breeding | Young frogs | Burrowed | Burrowed | Burrowed | Burrowed | Burrowed | Burrowed | Calling on wet nights | Breeding |
Where it lives
Recorded in 4 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
If you found one
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