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Lithobates virgatipes

(Cope, 1891)

Carpenter Frog

G4Apparently Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105956
Element CodeAAABH01230
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyRanidae
GenusLithobates
Synonyms
Aquarana virgatipes(Cope, 1891)Rana virgatipesCope, 1891
Other Common Names
carpenter frog (EN)
Concept Reference
Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
The generic taxonomy of American ranids is controversial (see discussion in Nicholson 2025). Recognition of the genus Aquarana by Dubois et al. (2021) is not followed by SSAR (Nicholson 2025) pending achievement of more phylogenetic stability. Data provided by Pytel (1986) suggest that careful evaluation for cryptic species is warranted. Austin et al. (2003) suggested that this species is the sister taxon of the remaining member of the Rana catesbeiana group (Frost 2020).
Conservation Status
Review Date2014-02-19
Change Date2011-05-08
Edition Date2011-05-08
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the Coastal Plain from New Jersey to southeastern Georgia and extreme northern Florida (Conant and Collins 1991). Spotty distribution.
Occurrences Comments
Gosner and Black (1968) mapped 33 sites in New Jersey and 31 locations elsewhere throughout the range; not all of these necessarily represent distinct occurrences. Tobey (1985) mapped only about a half dozen locations in Virginia (about the same as Gosner and Black 1968).
Threat Impact Comments
Threatened by loss or degradation of habitat (e.g., through ditching) at the periphery of the range in Virginia (Mitchell 1991).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

A frog with two golden-brown stripes on each side, dark spots and blotches scattered on the dorsum and legs, and no dorsolateral ridges; snout-vent length generally is 4.1-6.7 cm (Conant and Collins 1991).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Differs from the pig frog (RANA GRYLIO) in having the 4th toe extending well beyond the web (vs. 4th toe webbed virtually to the tip) (Conant and Collins 1991).

Habitat

Sphagnum bogs and swamps and sphagnum borders of lakes and ponds; tea-colored, slow-moving water with abundant emergent or floating vegetation. Active adults occur at the water's edge or on partly submerged logs or among vegetation. Often in same habitats as HYLA ANDERSONII. Eggs are laid and larvae develop in pools in adult year-around habitat (see HABCOMM); globular egg masses are attached to underwater vegetation. In southern New Jersey, calling sites had more submerged shrubs than did control sites (Given 1988).

Ecology

See Given (1988) for information on territorial behavior. Mortality rate apparently high in adult males (Given 1988).

Reproduction

Calling may begin in March; full choruses occur from late April through late June (Mitchell 1991). Lays clusters of 200-600 eggs, April to August or September (Ashton and Ashton 1988). Mating pairs were observed from late April to late July in southern New Jersey (Given 1988). Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks. Aquatic larval stage lasts about 1 year.
Palustrine Habitats
SCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
DelawareS1Yes
New JerseyS3Yes
MarylandS3Yes
FloridaS1Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
North CarolinaS4Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
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)

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Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
References (21)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1988. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part Three. The amphibians. Windward Publ. Co., Miami.
  2. Austin, J. D., S. C. Lougheed, P. E. Moler, and P. T. Boag. 2003. Phylogenetics, zoogeography, and the role of disperal and vicariance in the evolution of the <i>Rana catesbeiana</i> (Anura: Ranidae) species group. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. London 80:601-624.
  3. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  7. Cromartie, W. J., editor. 1982. New Jersey's endangered and threatened plants and animals. Stockton State College, Center for Environmental Research, Pomona, New Jersey. 385 pp.
  8. 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]
  9. Dubois, A., A. Ohler, and R. A. Pyron. 2021. New concepts and methods for phylogenetic taxonomy and nomenclature in zoology, exemplified by a new ranked cladonomy of recent amphibians (Lissamphibia). Megataxa 5:1-738.
  10. Frost, D. R. 1985. Amphibian species of the world. A taxonomic and geographical reference. Allen Press, Inc., and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas. v + 732 pp.
  11. Frost, D. R. 2010. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.4 (8 April 2010). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  12. 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
  13. Frost, D. R. 2026. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.2. Electronic Database accessible at https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. doi.org/10.5531/db.vz.0001
  14. Given, M. F. 1988. Territoriality and aggressive interactions of male carpenter frogs, <i>Rana virgatipes</i>. Copeia 1988:411-421.
  15. Gosner, K.L. and Black, I.H. 1968. <i>Rana virgatipes</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 67:1-2.
  16. 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.
  17. Mitchell, J. C. 1991. Amphibians and reptiles. Pages 411-76 in K. Terwilliger (coordinator). Virginia's Endangered Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  18. Moler, P. E., editor. 1992. Rare and endangered biota of Florida. Volume III. Amphibians and reptiles. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. xviii + 291 pp.
  19. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  20. Pytel, B. A. 1986. Biochemical systematics of the eastern North American frogs of the genus <i>Rana</i>. Herpetologica (1986):273-282.
  21. Tobey, F. J. 1985. Virginia's amphibians and reptiles: a distributional survey. Virginia Herpetological Survey. vi + 114 pp.