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Pseudacris ocularis

(Bosc and Daudin, 1801)

Little Grass Frog

G5Secure Found in 4 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105857
Element CodeAAABC05110
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyHylidae
GenusPseudacris
Synonyms
Limnaoedus ocularis
Other Common Names
little grass frog (EN)
Concept Reference
Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly in the genus Limnaoedus; placed in Pseudacris by Hedges (1986). Cocroft (1994) analyzed morphological and biochemical data sets and concluded that the little grass frog does belong in the genus Pseudacris. da Silva (1997) recommended that for now Hedges' (1986) definition of Pseudacris should be maintained.

A molecular phylogeny of Pseudacris based on mtDNA data (Moriarty and Cannatella 2004) revealed four strongly supported clades within Pseudacris: (1) A West Coast Clade containing regilla and cadaverina, (2) a Fat Frog Clade including ornata, streckeri, and illinoensis, (3) a Crucifer Clade consisting of crucifer and ocularis, and (4) a Trilling Frog Clade containing all other Pseudacris. Within the Trilling Frog Clade, brimleyi and brachyphona form the sister group to the Nigrita Clade: nigrita, feriarum, triseriata, kalmi, clarkii, and maculata. The Nigrita Clade shows geographic division into three clades: (1) populations of maculata and triseriata west of the Mississippi River and Canadian populations, (2) southeastern United States populations of feriarum and nigrita, and (3) northeastern United States populations of feriarum, kalmi, and triseriata. Current taxonomy does not reflect the phylogenetic relationships among populations of the Nigrita Clade (Moriarty and Canatella 2004). For example, the molecular data appear to indicate that triseriata, maculata, and clarkii in the western United States are conspecific, but the authors indicated that further sampling and analysis of the Trilling Frog Clade are needed before their relationships can be determined and an appropriate taxonomy established. Moriarty and Cannatella (2004) found that subspecific epithets for crucifer (crucifer and bartramiana) and nigrita (nigrita and verrucosa) are uninformative, and they therefore discouraged recognition of these subspecies. They concluded that further study is needed to determine if illinoensis warrants status as a distinct species. Molecular data were consistent with retention of regilla, cadaverina, ocularis, and crucifer in the genus Pseudacris.
Conservation Status
Review Date2002-04-02
Change Date2001-11-13
Edition Date2002-04-02
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia to southern Florida, west to southeastern Alabama (Conant and Collins 1991).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range (Franz and Chantrell 1978).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Grassy/sedgy areas near bogs or ponds in pine flatwoods or along pools and streams in hardwood forests and cypress swamps. Usually perched in grasses, sedges, or low shrubs. Eggs are laid and larvae develop in grassy, rain-filled depressions and semi-permanent ponds.

Reproduction

Lays clutch of about 100 eggs, usually in conjunction with spring and summer rains (calls may be heard all year in south but do not necessarily indicate breeding). Aquatic larvae metamophose into terrestrial form in about 6-10 weeks.
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
AlabamaS1Yes
GeorgiaS4Yes
VirginiaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areas——High (continuing)
1.3 - Tourism & recreation areas——High (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridors——High (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroads——High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource use——High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (4)
Florida (4)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Clear LakeApalachicola National Forest5,592
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
References (14)
  1. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Blackburn, L., P. Nanjappa, and M. J. Lannoo. 2001. An Atlas of the Distribution of U.S. Amphibians. Copyright, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, USA.
  4. Cocroft, R. B. 1994. A cladistic analysis of chorus frog phylogeny (Hylidae: <i>Pseudacris</i>). Herpetologica 50:420-437.
  5. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  6. Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xvii + 429 pp.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  8. da Silva, H. R. 1997. Two character states new for hylines and the taxonomy of the genus <i>Pseudacris</i>. Journal of Herpetology 31:609-613.
  9. Franz, R. and Chantell, C.J. 1978. Limnaoedus, L. ocularis. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. 209:1-2.
  10. Frost, D.R. 2020. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Online: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html
  11. Hedges, S. B. 1986. An electrophoretic analysis of holarctic hylid frog evolution. Syst. Zool. 35:1-21.
  12. Martof, B. S., W. M. Palmer, J. R. Bailey, and J. R. Harrison, III. 1980. Amphibians and reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 264 pp.
  13. Moriarty, E. C., and D. C. Cannatella. 2004. Phylogenetic relationships of the North American chorus frogs (<i>Pseudacris</i>: Hylidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 30:409-420.
  14. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.