Subphylum Vertebrata Order Anura Scientific name Rana okaloosae | Phylum Chordata Family Ranidae Rank Species | |
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Similar Lithobates vibicarius, Ramsey Canyon leopard fr, Carpenter frog, Gopher frog, Lithobates heckscheri | ||
Hand feeding a florida bog frog
The Florida bog frog (Lithobates okaloosae) is a rare species of frog found only in western Florida.
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Distribution
The Florida bog frog inhabits a total area of less than 20 km2 (7.7 mi2). It is found in shallow ponds or creeks along tributaries of the East Bay, Shoal and Yellow Rivers in Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties in Florida. About 90% of its range lies within Eglin Air Force Base, so the major threat to this species originates from human activity disturbing their natural habitat. However, "US national security has priority over wildlife", and the species showed some tolerance to intrusion.
Description
This species ranges from 34 to 49 mm (1.3 to 1.9 in) in snout to vent length (SVL), with females being a few millimeters larger than males on average. They have no spots on their dorsal surfaces and compared to other North American members of the genus Lithobates, the webbing between the toes is greatly reduced. They are light green. Males have a yellow throat and larger tympana. Tadpoles are brown with dark spots on the tail and light spots on the ventral surface.
The Florida bog frog differs from other American frogs by reduced webbing of their feet – "at least three phalanges of the 4th toe are free of webbing and at least two phalanges of all other toes are free".
Ecology and behavior
This species was unknown to science until the 1980s. Relatively little is known about their reproduction and development. Males call at night, often in areas where bronze frogs (Lithobates clamitans clamitans) also breed. Females lay several hundred eggs at a time on the surface of shallow, non-stagnant, acidic (pH 4.1–5.5) water during the spring and summer. Tadpoles metamorphose by the next spring.
