Ornate Chorus Frog

Scientific Name: Pseudacris ornata
Classification: Nongame species-State Listed as Endangered
Range: Southern Coastal Plain (blue)

Overview

The ornate chorus frog is a small, stout frog that is usually reddish brown but can also be tan, grayish or green. It has a bold black stripe runs through each eye to the shoulder, and dark spots on the sides, lower back and near the groin. The groin and underside of each thigh are spotted with bright yellow. 

These frogs live in pine stands and pine savannas in the southern Coastal Plain. They are primarily nocturnal and are seldom encountered outside the breeding season. Ornate chorus frogs call from December to March. They breed in temporary ponds and females deposit clusters of 10 to 100 eggs on vegetation. Tadpoles metamorphose in eight to 12 weeks. 

Call:

The call of the ornate chorus frog, which can be heard from December to March, is a shrill, bird-like peep that resembles the call of a spring peeper but is more rapid, metallic and monotonic.

Regulations

Populations of ornate chorus frogs are disappearing in North Carolina due to destruction of temporary wetlands in longleaf pine ecosystems. The ornate chorus is state listed as Endangered and cannot be collected or taken except under a special permit issued by the Wildlife Commission’s Executive Director. More information is available in the Regulations Digest.

Management

Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Reports

Protected Wildlife Species of North Carolina Listings (PDF) 

Related Links, Calls and Photos

Have a Wildlife Problem?

There are no reported problems with this species.