Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum)

Upland Chorus Frog Call

Description: A small chorus frog (1.9–3.5 cm; 0.75–1.4 in) with brown or gray dorsal coloration and a pale line across the upper lip. A dark lateral stripe runs through the eye onto the side of the body. Dorsal markings are variable: three longitudinal stripes may be present, broken, or absent, and some individuals appear streaked or spotted. Males can be distinguished by a vocal sac beneath the chin. Very similar to the Southern Chorus Frog (P. nigrita), but best separated by call and range.

Range and Habitat: It occurs across much of the eastern United States, but in the Southeast, it is most common in the Piedmont and Mountain regions. It is generally replaced by P. nigrita in the Coastal Plain, though isolated P. feriarum populations exist in the South Carolina Coastal Plain. It is found in grassy areas, woodlands, wetlands, bogs, and other moist habitats.

Habits: Breeds from February through March, when adults congregate in wetlands, roadside ditches, and slow-moving streams. Tadpoles feed on algae, diatoms, and decomposed plant matter, completing metamorphosis in 2–3 months. Outside the breeding season, adults are secretive and rarely encountered.

Call: A rapid, smooth trill resembling the sound produced when running a finger across the teeth of a comb. Calls are faster and more fluid than those of the Southern Chorus Frog, whose call is more jerky and prolonged.

Conservation Status: Common throughout its range and not protected in the Southeast.