Unit XI Amphibians of Kansas Information

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Unit XI Amphibians of Kansas Information
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Introduction to Amphibians

• Class Amphibia
• 31 species of amphibians in Kansas, including
  salamanders and frogs and toads.
• Most species in Kansas are active from about
  March to November.
• amphi- means both, as in living on both land
  and water.
• Smooth, thin, moist skin (toads have rougher,
  dryer skin)
• Many amphibians are extremely fragile. The salts
  and other chemicals we have on our hands can
  actually kill them if we hold them too long by
  diffusing through their skin and getting into
  their bodies.
• Majority have four limbs and no claws

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Introduction to Amphibians, cont.

• Ectotherms, meaning cold-bloodedthey hibernate
  (winter) or aestivate (summer) in extreme temps
• Offspring develop through metamorphosis, meaning
  they have a larval stage and an adult stage of
  the life cycle, where their bodies look very
  different.
• Tadpoles are aquatic larvae and the adults live
  on land.
• Breathe through poorly developed lungs and
  skinthey diffuse oxygen through their skin along
  with using their lungs.
• Digests prey whole

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Introduction to Amphibians, cont.

• 3 eyelids two normal like ours, and one
  called the nictotating membrane which is
  transparent.
• ear is the tympanic membrane
• Must return to water to reproduce. Their eggs
  are a gelatinous mass that have no protective
  covering. They must be laid in water for them to
  survive.
• Orders of Amphibia
• Order Apoda meaning without legs like caecilian
• Order Urodela tailed amphibians like
  salamanders and newts
• Order Anura tailless amphibians. All frogs and
  toads

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Introduction to Amphibians, cont.

• (Order Anura, frogs and toads, cont)
• Use powerful hind limbs for movement
• Tongue is attached to tip of lower jaw and has
  sticky tip, which they flick out at a prey item,
  and then bring the food item back into their
  mouth where they swallow it whole.
• Sometimes have poisonous skin, such as toads and
  rainforest poison dart frogs.
• Only males sing and make noise
• Many species in severe decline due to many
  factors habitat loss, pollution of waterways,
  increased UV rays from thinning ozone layer, and
  fungal diseases that are showing up in high
  numbers for as of yet unknown reasons.

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Introduction to Amphibians, cont.

• Identification
• One field guide will cover both amphibians and
  reptiles.
• The introduction in any field guide will give a
  great overview of what to look for in each group.
• Size, shape, habitat, and obvious markings on the
  bodies are the basis for field identification.

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Smallmouth Salamander
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Smallmouth Salamander

• 4-5.5 in length
• Found in roughly the eastern 1/3 of Kansas, and
  more common in the southern part of this range
  than the northern part.
• Emerges in early spring, usually during the first
  night-time rain at the end of the winter in late
  February or early March. They breed, and then
  disperse to habitat under logs or rocks in moist
  areas. Generally spends most of the summer and
  winter months below ground.
• Difficult to find and very difficult to keep in
  captivity.

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Barred Tiger Salamander
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Barred Tiger Salamander

• 6-8.5 in length.
• The only salamander found throughout Kansas.
• Kansas State Amphibian
• Opportunistic feeder, it will eat basically
  whatever it can stuff in its mouth! Aquatic
  insects, grasshoppers, worms, fish, tadpoles,
  frogs, toads, other salamanders and even mice!

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Plains Spadefoot
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Plains Spadefoot

• 1.5-2 in length.
• Eats beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and ants
• Lives in prairies and open floodplains,
  especially where there is sand or loose soil.
• Burrows in loose ground during day, and emerges
  in evenings, especially after rains.

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Bullfrog
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Bullfrog

• Largest frog in the state, and is 3 ½-6 in
  length.
• Males have much larger ear membranes (the circles
  behind the eyes) than the females.
• Call is the deep, baritone, whomp sound.
• Eats nearly anything it can fit into its mouth,
  including invertebrates and small vertebrates,
  even small turtles, birds, bats, shrews and
  moles!
• Is a game animal in Kansas, and can be hunted
  only from July 1-Sept 30 with a valid Kansas
  fishing license. Hind limbs are the well-known
  frog legs served in restaurants.

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Plains Leopard Frog
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Plains Leopard Frog
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Plains Leopard Frog

• 2-3 ¾ in length.
• Can breed as early as February and may continue
  into the summer.
• Call sounds like wet fingers rubbing on a
  balloon.
• Eats primarily terrestrial insects.

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Western Chorus Frog
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Western Chorus Frog

• ¾-1 ½ in length
• This is the first frog to start calling in the
  spring, and is vocal in March and April.
• Call sounds similar to running your fingernail
  over the teeth of a comb.
• Eats terrestrial and aquatic insects.

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Northern Cricket Frog
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Northern Cricket Frog
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Northern Cricket Frog

• Small, they are 5/8-1.5 long.
• Habitat is muddy, beach-like edges of small ponds
  and shallow streams. Avoids deep water.
• Call sounds similar jingling a bag of marbles.
• Eats mostly aquatic insects.

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Gray Treefrog
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Gray Treefrog
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Gray Treefrog calling
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Gray Treefrog

• The only amphibian in Kansas that can change its
  color to better blend with its habitat. Can be
  bright green to tan to light gray. The green is
  uniform in color, but the gray is mottled like
  lichen on a tree trunk.
• 1.25-2.25 in length.
• Found in eastern 1/3 of Kansas.
• Habitat is low shrubs of woodland and woodland
  edge. More arboreal than other frogs. Can also
  be found on storm doors or windows of houses if
  porch lights are left on (if you live near their
  habitat)they climb up to eat the insects at
  night.
• Call sounds like a deeper, monotone belch.
• Eats terrestrial and flying insects.

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American Toad
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American Toad
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American Toad

• Has dry skin, round snout, kidney-shaped glands
  behind each eye, and a dark spots on white belly.
• Found in eastern 1/3 of Kansas.
• Found in rocky, open woods or woodland edge
  habitat.
• Call is a high-pitched, monotone trill.
• Eats a large quantity of insects and is very
  beneficial for this reason to Kansas farmers.

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Woodhouses Toad
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Woodhouses Toads breeding
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Woodhouses Toad

• Has dry skin, round snout, kidney-shaped glands
  behind each eye, and a much plainer belly than
  the American Toad.
• Found throughout Kansas.
• Found in diverse habitats, but seems to prefer
  lowland areas.
• Call is a haunting, high-pitched screaming sound.
• Eats a variety of insects and spiders can eat up
  to 2/3 of its own weight in a single day.

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Great Plains Narrowmouth Frog
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Great Plains Narrowmouth Frog
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Great Plains Narrowmouth Frog

• Has moist skin, a fold of skin across the back of
  the head between the eyes, and a very pointed
  snout and a small head, relative to its body.
• Found throughout the eastern 2/3 of Kansas.
• Often found under rocks on open, grassy slopes.
• Eats almost nothing but ants.
• Very secretive frog spends almost entire life
  underground.

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References

• Reptiles and Amphibians in Kansas, by Joseph
  Collins
• Turtles in Kansas, by Janalee P. Caldwell and
  Joseph T. Collins
• Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians
  (eastern and central North America), by Conant
  and Collins.