Kingdom Animalia Family Hylidae Genus Chorus frog Order Frog | Class Amphibia Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Similar California tree frog, Frog, Chorus frog, Pseudacris sierra, Garden slender salamander | ||
The Baja California chorus frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) is a species of treefrog of Western North America. The species was formerly considered the part of the Pacific chorus frog (Pesudacris regilla), but split and raised to species status in 2006. The species ranges from the West Coast of the United States from Baja California through southern California. Individuals live from sea level to more than 10,000 feet in many types of habitats, reproducing in aquatic settings. They occur in shades of greens or browns and can change colors over periods of hours and weeks.
Taxonomy
The naming of this frog has a very confusing history. These frogs have long been known as Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla or Hyla regilla). Then, in 2006, Recuero et al. split that taxonomic concept into three species based on mitochondrial DNA comparisons. Recuero et al. attached the name Pseudacris regilla to the northern species, renaming the central species the Sierran tree frog (Pseudacris sierra) and the southern piece the Baja California tree frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca). Because the paper provided no maps or discussion of how to diagnose the species, it has been an extremely controversial taxonomic revision, but has been incorporated into Amphibian Species of the World 6.0. The taxonomic confusion introduced by this name change means that much of the information about Pseudacris hypochondriaca is attached to the name "Pseudacris regilla".