Fact File
Scientific Name: Pseudacris brachyphona
Classification: Amphibian
Conservation Status:
- Species of Greatest Conservation Need-Tier 2a on the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan
Size: Up to 1.3 inches
Distribution: This species is found on forested hillsides often near springs and rivulets and may range upward to elevations exceeding 3,500 feet.
Identifying Characteristics
This species is gray or brownish in color with a variable pattern, but typically with two curved stripes on the back. The stripes may touch in the center of the back to form a dark ‘X’. A dark triangle between the eyes is usually present and there is a white line on the upper lip.
Did You Know?
Often heard calling during the daytime due to cool nighttime temperatures in the mountains.
Role in the Web of Life
Breeding occurs from March-July in shallow pools in woods or virtually any small standing body of water. Their advertisement call is a quick, raspy note, often uttered from low vegetation or shrubs, and is not unlike that of Brimley’s Chorus Frog. However, the ranges of the two species do not overlap. It may be found far from water, and they may take refuge in sinkholes or rock talus in drier upland habitats.
Conservation
Tier II Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan
Last updated: March 23, 2021