Western chorus/Boreal chorus frog Pseudacris triseriata/P. maculata

Size: 3/4 - 1 1/4 inches (1.9-3.2 cm)

Voice: A short, ascending trill-like b-r-e-e-e, resembling a thumb drawn along the teeth of a comb. May call after cool summer rains.

Identification: The western chorus frog and boreal chorus frog are described as two individual species in some references, and as subspecies in others. Their individual ranges in the state are not clearly known. Skin color ranges from tan to shades of gray or red. Three dark stripes extend from the head down the back and an additional line runs through the eye. A white line extends along the upper lip.

Life stages: Females attach clumps of up to 100 eggs to vegetation. Eggs hatch within 18 days. Tadpoles transform within three months, becoming mature adults within one year.

Breeding habitat: Temporary shallow ponds, flooded fields, river backwaters, lake edges, and roadside ditches.

Summer habitat: Associated with a variety of habitats, including urban environments, but often found in grasslands or forest edges.

Winter habitat: Terrestrial.

Photo: ©A.B. Sheldon.