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Home/Species/ Ornate Chorus Frog

Pseudacris ornata

(Holbrook, 1836)

Ornate Chorus Frog

G4Apparently Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105957
Element CodeAAABC05050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAmphibia
OrderAnura
FamilyHylidae
GenusPseudacris
Other Common Names
ornate chorus 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
Based on a re-analysis of previously published molecular data, Duellman et al. (2016) restricted the name Pseudacris to eastern and Rocky Mountain species, and allocated the western species, P. cadaverina, P. hypochondriaca, P. regilla, and P. sierra to the genus Hyliola. Based on genome-wide nDNA data, Banker et al. (2020) argued that Hyliola should not be recognized because (a) the genus Pseudacris already is a monophyletic taxon without the change, and (b) the geographic separation rationale cited by Duellman et al. (2016) is insufficient as the sole criterion for splitting a long recognized monophyletic clade, causing unnecessary taxonomic instability. Use of Hyliola has not gained any traction in the systematic community, presumably because of the small number of species involved (Nicholson 2025).
Conservation Status
Review Date2014-01-22
Change Date2014-01-22
Edition Date2014-01-22
Edition AuthorsJackson, D. R. (2014); Hammerson, G. (2010)
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Rank Reasons
Broad range but some evidence of decline, at least in peninsular Florida.
Range Extent Comments
Range includes the Coastal Plain from North Carolina to central Florida (at least formerly), and west to southeastern Louisiana (Conant and Collins 1991).
Occurrences Comments
Represented by many and/or large occurrences throughout most of the range.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

In adults, each eye is crossed by a black masklike stripe that may extend along the side of the body. The sides of the body and area near the groin have distinct light-bordered black spots. The groin is yellow. The upper side of these frogs is often reddish brown, ranging from blackish to silvery white. Maximum size is about 1.5 inches (3.9 cm) snout-vent length. Juveniles have a less distinct pattern than do adults. Breeding males have a dark throat. The breeding call is a series of high peeps (1-1.5 peeps per second). Larvae have a very high tail fin that begins just behind the eyes, and there is often a gold or brassy stripe along each side of the back. Larvae are up to about 1.7 inches (4.3 cm) long.

Habitat

Ornate chorus frogs inhabit sandhills, pine flatwoods, upland pine forests, and other habitats up to at least several hundred meters from breeding pools. They burrow into the ground (often among herbaceous plant roots) when not active on the surface. Adults are seldom observed except when breeding. Eggs are attached to plant stems in flooded fields, sinkhole ponds, pine barren ponds, Carolina bays, and cypress ponds.

Ecology

As is true of many amphibians, the breeding characteristics of ornate chorus frogs are fairly well documented, but their habits in nonbreeding upland habitats are poorly known.

Population turnover nearly annual in South Carolina (Caldwell 1987).

Reproduction

Clusters of up to about 100 eggs (usually a few dozen) are laid from late fall to early spring (peak usually in winter). Larvae hatch in about a week and metamorphose into small frogs about 3-4 months later. Individuals become sexually mature in 1 year in South Carolina (Caldwell 1987). Little or no recruitment occurs during drought periods (Pechmann et al. 1991).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferSavanna
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
LouisianaSHYes
South CarolinaS3Yes
MississippiS1Yes
North CarolinaS2Yes
FloridaS2Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
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 (3)
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
SavannahApalachicola National Forest1,927
References (17)
  1. Banker, S. E., A. R. Lemmon, A. B. Hassinger, S. D. Holland, M. L. Kortyna, O. E. Ospina, H. Ralicki, and E. M. Lemmon. 2020. Hierarchical hybrid enrichment: Multitiered genomic data collection across evolutionary scales, with application to Chorus Frogs (<i>Pseudacris</i>). Systematic Biology 69:756-773.
  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. Caldwell, J. P. 1987. Demography and life history of two species of chorus frogs (Anura: Hylidae) in South Carolina. Copeia 1987:114-127.
  5. Cocroft, R. B. 1994. A cladistic analysis of chorus frog phylogeny (Hylidae: <i>Pseudacris</i>). Herpetologica 50:420-437.
  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. 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.
  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. Duellman, W. E., A. B. Marion, and S. B. Hedges. 2016. Phylogenetics, classification, and biogeography of the treefrogs (Amphibia: Anura: Arboranae). Zootaxa 4104: 1–109.
  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. 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
  12. Krysko, K. L., K. M. Enge, and P. E. Moler. 2011. Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Florida. Final report to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida. Submitted 15 December 2011.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  16. 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. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  17. Pechmann, J.H.K., D.E. Scott, R.D. Semlitsch, J.P. Caldwell, L J. Vitt, and J.W. Gibbons. 1991. Declining amphibian populations: the problem of separating human impacts from natural fluctuations. Science 253:892-895.