Wlmoml Bt| T01K R. 9^^ The [kmfwbi si KaimA Wbmm ei KafuxoC Ht5ie«| >7 UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY The Public Education Series is intended to provide popular pub- lications on natural history for the people of Kansas and surround- ing states. This volume is the result of studies the Museum of Natural History feels are worthy of publication for a deeper under- standing of our Nation's natural fauna. Copies of publications in this series may be obtained from the Publications Secretary, Museum of Natural History, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045. Price for this Number: $5.00 postpaid HARVARD UNIVERSITY Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Front Cover: Gray Treefrog. Drawing by the author University of Kansas Museum of Natural History Public Education Series No. 6 October 21, 1977 THE AMPHIBIANS OF MISSOURI By Tom R. Johnson Missouri Dept. of Conservation Jefferson City, Mo. 65101 University of Kansas Lawrence 1977 University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History Editor: E. O. Wiley Co-Editor: Rebecca A. Pyles Public Education Series No. 6 pp. 1-142; 67 figures, 42 maps Published October 21, 1977 Copyrighted By Museum of Natural History University of Ka.nsas Lawrence, Kansas 66045 U.S.A. MUft eOMP. 2001 MAY I7iq«> HARVARD JNIVSRSITY ISBN: 0-89338-005-9 TO MY WIFE DIANE AND TO MY PARENTS. m iv PREFACE It has been 66 years since a book has been pubhshed on the amphibians of Missouri (Hurter, 1911), and to date no comprehen- sive work is available on this subject. In the last few years there has been increased interest in our natural resources, and people are becoming more aware of the beautiful natural heritage of this country: the wild flora and fauna. More importantly, there is growing interest in finding ways to pre- serve our wildlife, and one way to accomplish this is to have an informed public. The Amphibians of Missouri has been written for this reason. There are presently 48 species and subspecies of am- phibians known to occur in Missouri. Several species are now pro- tected by law, but this cannot be effective unless Missourians are able to identify the amphibians of their state. I hope this work will be useful to the biologist and non-biologist ahke, and that anyone who is interested in the natural history and distribution of these animals will find this book helpful. A compre- hensive bibliography is furnished to assist the reader who wishes to learn more about the herpetofauna of Missouri. During the three years of work on this project I had the help and cooperation of a number of people, and without their assistance this book would have never materialized. I am grateful to Robert N. Bader for first giving me the idea to write this book. Ronald A. Brandon, Joseph T. Collins, and Richard S. Funk critically read the manuscript and offered numerous and valuable suggestions. I am indebted to these persons for their interest, guidance, and unselfish efforts. For proof reading the manuscript I thank Carol L. Kramer. I am also grateful to Lauren E. Brown and Richard S. Funk for kindly supplying the gray treefrog sonograph. I offer my thanks to the following persons who helped me in securing specimens or county records, helping in photographic problems, supplying reprints, for assistance in field work, and other kindnesses: Tom Aley, Robert N. Bader, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn F. Bartlett, George C. Becker, Jeffrey H. Black, Ronald A. Brandon, Lauren E. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Burkhalter, John Bursewicz, Charles J. Cole, Joseph T. Collins, Roger Conant, Mary E. Dawson, David A. Easterla, Daniel B. Fitzhenry, Jr., Richard S. Funk, Carl Gerhardt, Harry Gregory, J. Whitfield Gibbons, Bill Heckt, Mike P. Hemkens, Richard Highton, James G. Houser, Donald A. Kangas, Randy Krohmer, Richard L. Lardie, Larry L. Latimer, Bob and Linda Leis, Hymen Marx, Dean E. Metter, Claudia E. Mink, Michael A. Morris, Robert W. Murphy, Max A. Nickerson, Edward P. Ortleb, Demiis B. Rahn, Donald Rimbach, Owen J. Sexton, Dorothy M. Smith, Phihp W. Smith, Charles D. SulHvan, Terry Vandeventer, James L. Vial, Richard C. Vogt, Mr, and Mrs. Norman W. Woessner, Thomas G. Yahnke, George R. Zug, Richard G. Zweifel. My thanks to the Museum of Natural History, the University of Kansas, for their efforts in seeing this book to publication. Finally I would like to express a special thanks to my wife Diane who helped in so many ways during the evolution of this book, for help in the field, and for typing the entire manuscript. All funding for this work came from our personal income, and no person, foun- dation, or institution contributed any financial assistance whatever. Tom R. Johnson January, 1977 St. Louis, Missouri VI CONTENTS Introduction 1 Amphibian classification 3 Physiographic provinces of Missouri 3 Explanation of family and species accounts 5 Checklist of Missouri Amphibians 8 Key to the Amphibians of Missouri 10 Salamanders 11 Toads and frogs 14 Salamander Families and Species Accounts: Family Cryptobranchidae, Giant Salamanders 18 Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) 19 Family Sirenidae, Sirens and Lesser Sirens 21 Western Lesser Siren ( Siren intermedia nettingi ) 22 Family Ambystomatidae, Mole Salamanders 24 Ringed Salamander {Ambystoma annulatum) — 25 Spotted Salamander {Ambystoma maculatum) .— 27 Marbled Salamander {Ambystoma opacum) 29 Mole Salamander {Ambystoma talpoideum) 31 Small-mouthed Salamander {Ambystoma texanum ) 33 Eastern Tiger Salamander {Ambystoma t. tigrinum ) 35 Family Salamandridae, Newts 37 Central Newt {Notophthalmus v. louisianensis) .. 38 Family Amphiumidae, Amphiumas 41 Three-toed Amphiuma {Amphiuma tridactylum) 42 Family Plethodontidae, Lungless Salamanders 44 Long-tailed Salamander {Eurycea longicauda) .-. 45 Cave Salamander {Eurycea lucifuga) 47 Gray-bellied Salamander ( Eurycea multiplicata griseogaster) 49 Oklahoma Salamander {Eurycea tynerensis) 51 vii Four-toed Salamander ( Hemidactylium scutatum ) 52 Ozark Red-backed Salamander {Plethodon dorsalis angusticlavius) 54 Slimy Salamander (Plethodon g. glutinosus) 56 Southern Red-backed Salamander ( Plethodon serratus ) 58 Grotto Salamander (Typhlotriton spelaeus) 60 Family Proteidae, Mudpuppy and Waterdogs 62 Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) 63 Toad and Frog Families and Species Accounts: Family Pelobatidae, Spadefoot Toads 65 Plains Spadefoot Toad (Scaphiopus homhifrons) 66 Eastern Spadefoot Toad ( Scaphiopus h. holhrookii ) 68 Family Bufonidae, True Toads 70 American Toad (Bufo americanus) 71 Great Plains Toad {Bufo cognatus) 74 Woodhouse's Toad {Bufo woodhousei) 76 Family Hylidae, Treefrogs, Chorus Frogs, and Cricket Frogs 79 Blanchard's Cricket Frog {Acris crepitans hlanchardi ) 80 Green Treehog {Hyla cinerea) 82 Northern Spring Peeper {Hyla c. crucifer) 85 Gray Treefrogs ( Hyla versicolor and H. chrysoscelis) 87 Illinois Chorus Frog ( Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis) 90 Western Chorus Frog ( Pseudacris triseriata ) 92 Family Microhylidae, Narrow-mouthed Toads 94 Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad ( Gastrophryne carolinensis ) 95 Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad {Gastrophryne olivacea) 97 Family Ranidae, True Frogs 99 viii Northern Crawfish Frog ( Rana areolata circulosa ) 100 Plains Leopard Frog {Rana hlairi) 102 Bullfrog {Rana catesbeiana) 104 Green Frog {Rana clamitans) 106 Pickerel Frog {Rana palustris) 108 Southern Leopard Frog {Rana sphenocephala) — . Ill Wood Frog {Rana sylvatica) 114 Amphibians of Possible Occurrence in MissoLiri 116 Glossary 117 Bibliography 119 Index to Families, Common and Scientific Names 128 AMPHIBIANS OF MISSOURI INTRODUCTION This is a book about the amphibians of Missouri. Ask the aver- age person to name an amphibian, and he or she will probably answer, "a turtle." Of all the various vertebrate animals living to- day, the amphibians (toads, frogs, salamanders, and the tropical caecilians) are probably among the least known and the least understood. There are close to 3,000 species of amphibians, which make up the Class Amphibia and have representatives living on all the conti- nents except Antarctica. These animals have played a vital role in the evolution of the vertebrates (animals with backbones). The early amphibians were the first vertebrates to leave the security of their watery world and venture forth on land. These early amphibians evolved from a group of fresh water fish called "lobed-finned" fish. Some amphibians became established on land ( if only during a part of their lives ) , and were able to advance to the point where they no longer had to return to swamps and marshes to breed and lay eggs. These animals became the first reptiles. Different groups of reptiles gave rise to both birds and mammals. The study of amphibians and reptiles is called herpetology. This branch of zoology specifically treats both amphibians ( salamanders, toads and frogs), and reptiles (turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodilians and the tuatara). A person devoted to this branch of science is called a heipetologist. The amphibians studied by herpetologists today are more than simply a link with the prehistoric past. Study- ing the natural history of these animals can help scientists under- stand the needs and relationships of complex animal communities, which can, in turn, help all of us gain a better understanding of our environment. Animals such as tadpoles and salamanders are useful as indicators of a changing environment. Studies by herpetologists help teach young people to appreciate and understand the natiu-al biological systems of which we are all a part. Hopefully, in the years to come the job of trying to preserve our wildlife heritage will be shared by eveiyone. Missouri truly has a rich amphibian fauna, with 48 kinds (spe- cies and subspecies) currently recognized. Because of the geo- graphic location of Missouri, species of amphibians from northern, southern, eastern and western areas have been recorded here. A number of these species, however, have very limited distributions in Missouri. The caves, springs, and cold water streams of the beauti- ful Missouri Ozarks offer ideal habitats to many species of amphib- ians, and without such areas, a number of these animals would not be found here. Living amphibians are placed in three major groups: salaman- 2 PUBLIC EDUCATION— MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ders (Order Caiidata), toads and frogs (Order Anura), and caecil- ians ( Order Apoda ) . The last group of amphibians are long, legless, worm-like animals from the tropics and are not treated in this book. Salamanders, toads, and frogs have moist skin with no scales; they require water or at least a damp environment in which to live. The majority of them must return to the water to reproduce and none are able to control their body temperature by internal means. Skin secretions of amphibians are somewhat toxic, and hands must be washed after touching them. All Missouri amphibians lay eggs, either in the water or in moist areas. The eggs of toads and frogs develop into tadpoles which have gills that are covered by flaps of skin. The tadpoles of toads and frogs and the larvae of salamanders are extremely difficult to identify; the task of trying to describe them would be beyond the scope of this book. Line drawings of the typical tadpole and the two major types of salamander larvae are provided to familiarize the reader with their general appearances ( Fig. 1 ) . Fig. 1. Drawing of typical salamander lai-vae and tadpole. A. Stream-type larva witli small gills and low tail fin. B. Pond-type larva with large gills and high tail fin. C. Tadpole. AMPHIBIANS OF MISSOURI Amphiblax Classification The Class Amphibia is divided into 3 orders: Caudata Salamanders Apoda Caecilians Anura Toads and Frogs Each order is further divided into Families. For example some of the frogs of Missouri are placed in the following families: HyHdae treefrogs Ranidae true frogs Families are composed of closely related groups called genera ( sin- gular, genus). An example would be the treefrogs (Family Hylidae), which consists of the following genera found in Missouri: Acris cricket frogs Hijla treefrogs Pseudacris chorus frogs Final classification groups the even closer related members of each genus, the species. Thus, our Missouri treefrogs (genus Hijla) in- clude the following species: Hyla cinerea green treefrog Hyla crucifer spring peeper Hyla versicolor gray treefrog A subspecies name is added to a species name to indicate geo- graphic variation within a species. For example two geographic variations of the chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata) are the western chorus frog, Pseudacris triseriata triseriata, and the upland chorus frog, Pseudacris triseriata feriarum, both of which are found in Missouri. Ti T^ x^ Physiographic Provinces of Missouri This infonnation is furnished to familiarize the reader with the physical make-up of the state. These physical differences have a strong influence on what types of amphibians might occur in a par- ticular section. Glaciated Province. — The physical features of this region reflect the southern-most movement and even- tual retreat of tlie Kansan glacier, which took place about 400,000 years ago. The underlying rock of the area was ground up by the ice sheet, which caused the accumula- tion of thick deposits of gravel. The rolling hills and broad flat val- leys seen in this area today were Fig. 2. Map of Missouri show- caused by the slow retreat of the ing Physiographic Provinces. 1. glacier. To the east, along the Glaciated Province 2. Osage Prai- Mississippi River, are large hiUs rie. o. (JzarK Jrlateau. 4. Alissis- ii' iirr I'l sippi Lowlands. '^^^ limestone blults which were 4 PUBLIC EDUCATION— MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY spared by the advance of the glacier. Average annual precipitation is 36 inches. Some of the prairie species associated with this area are the Plains spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus homhifrons), the plains leopard frog (Rami JAciiri), and the northern crawfish frog (Rami areolata circulosa). The majority of salamanders common to Missouri are missing from this area. Osage Prairie. — Wide, flat prairies or gently rolling grassy hills typify this area. Average annual precipitation is 38 inches. Some of the western species listed in the above region, as well as the Wood- house's toad (Biifo wooclhousei looodhousei), and the Great Plains narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophnjne olivacea), are known from this area. Ozarkian Plateau. — This area contains a large number of the sala- manders, as well as many of the toads and frogs, found in the state. The rough terrain, clear streams, limestone bluffs, and cedar glades, as well as many springs and hundreds of caves give this area its unique character. A large part of this region is, or once was, a vast hardwood forest of oak, hickory, and maple. This province has the highest elevation in the state, Taum Sauk Mountain, 1,772 feet above sea level. Due to the poor soil and rough topography, agri- culture has not taken as strong a hold on the area as it has in northern and western Missouri. Lumbering has been a major in- dustry in the region, and large areas are now under the management of the National Forest Service. However, major sections of wooded areas recently have been cleared and seeded in grasses to furnish pasture for cattle and in time this may have a devastating effect on the flora and fauna of the Ozarks. The constmction of dams and reservoirs in this area also has caused the destruction of many habitats, especially caves and springs. Average annual precipitation is 40 inches. The Ozarks have several amphibians which are unique to the area: Ozark hellbender (Cryptohranchiis aUeganiensis hishopi), gray-bellied salamander (Eurycea muUipUcata griseogaster), and grotto salamander (Typhlotriton spelaeus). Mississippi Lowlands. — The southeastern corner or "boot heel" of Missouri is a broad, flat alluvial flood plain of the Mississippi River. This is the lowest area in Missouri, averaging 325 feet above sea level. At one time the area was a vast cypress swamp, but due to extensive lumbering and drainage programs most of the area is now devoted to agriculture, especially cotton fanning. Average annual precipitation is 46 inches. Even though the swamplands are nearly gone, a few amphibians typical of the southern United States are AMPHIBIANS OF MISSOURI 5 still present in a few areas of this province: the mole salamander (Amhystoma talpoideum), three-toed amphiuma (Amphiuma tri- dactylum), and the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea). EXPLAXATION OF FAMILY AND SpECIES ACCOUNTS Family Accounts. — The families (12 in all) of the various amphib- ians native to Missouri are placed in the sequence used by Smith (1961) and Colhns (1974). These accounts acquaint the reader with the general characteristics common to each family, and also list species which occur outside of Missouri. This information is fur- nished to give the reader an idea of the relationships and distribu- tions of amphibians on a broader scale. An illustration of a typical example of each family is shown at the beginning of each family account. Common and Scientific Names. — The common and scientific names used throughout this book are those currently accepted by most authorities. The common names follow Conant et ah (1956), or have been modified to conform to Conant (1975). The same is true for the scientific names, but if these names have had recent changes, a comment to that effect will be found in the Remarks section of the species accounts. I recommend that all persons, schools, mu- seums, and zoos use the common names set down in this book to help standardize usage and prevent needless confusion in reading and conversation. The genera found in each family are placed in alphabetical order and the species are placed in alphabetical order within each genus. Description. — This first section in the species accounts furnishes characters to help identify each species, including general shape, a brief description of color and pattern, and when appropriate, a dis- cussion of external characters that help separate the sexes of adults. The size of each species is given in both metric and English units. Total length is given for salamanders (i.e., length from the snout to the end of the tail). Sizes of toads and frogs are given in snout-vent length (i.e., from the tip of the nose to the vent or anus). The majority of species lengths used here are those reported by Conant (1975). Habits and Habitat. — Aspects of the natural history of each species are discussed when known. This includes habitat preferences, daily and seasonal activity, food, and specific behavioral traits. Breeding. — The reproductive biology of Missouri amphibians is dis- cussed in this section. This includes courtship, mating, egg laying, nesting, hatching and development of larvae and young. Also in- 6 PUBLIC EDUCATION— MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY eluded is the duration of the breeding season, and, in the case of toads and frogs, a description of their breeding calls. The bulk of this information was obtained from works by Bishop (1947), Wright and Wright (1949), Smith (1961), Barbour (1971), Collins (1974), and Conant (1975). The rest was gleaned from published papers in various journals. Remarks. — This section is placed in a species account when special information is offered, such as recommendations for conservation efforts, hybridization, and explanation of taxonomic problems. Distribution and Maps. — At the end of each species account is a brief description of the range of the species in Missouri. Also in- cluded is a map of Missouri which shows both the presumed range, shown by shading, and the known range, shown by large dots in the counties. Subspecies are differentiated on the maps by using differ- ent t\'pes of shading. Sections of the state where subspecies are thought to intergrade are shown by overlapping of shading. The solid circles represent county records based on preserved animals housed in herpetological collections of museums or univer- sities. Open circles represent amphibians observed in the field by me, or other investigators, but not collected. Preserved amphibian specimens were examined and/ or county records were gathered from the following institutions: St. Louis Museum of Science and Natural History Universit)^ of Missouri, Columbia Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville Northeast Missouri State University, Kirksville Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Mo. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, 111. Chicago Academy of Science Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana University of Illinois Natin-al History Museum, Urbana LTniversity of Kansas, Museum of Natural History, Lawrence Milwaukee Public Museum National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution American Museum of Natural History, New York University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Ann Arbor For those readers who wish to learn about the distribution of amphibians outside the confines of Missouri, I suggest referring to A Field Guide of Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, by Roger Conant (1975). AMPHIBIANS OF MISSOURI 7 Photographs and Illustrations. — Photographs are intended to show each animal in a natural setting, but at the same time have them shown clearly. All species accounts have at least one photograph, although in several accounts a subspecies photograph is also in- cluded. Additional photographs, showing a calling male toad or frog, or a pair in amplexus are furnished in a few accounts. All photographs were taken, and all line drawings were rendered, by the author. 8 PUBLIC EDUCATION— MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CHECKLIST OF MISSOURI AMPHIBIANS Class Amphdjia Order Caudata — Salamanders Family Cryptobranchidae — Giant Salamanders Hellbender Cryptohranchus alleganiensis aUe