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January 15, 2021
Ben here with the Friday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!
The second week of Herp Month concludes with our pick for the rarest frog in Virginia: Pseudacris kalmi, the New Jersey chorus frog!
Many of the frogs, toads, and lizards that we've looked at over the last week are native to the south, with Virginia representing the northern extent of their range. The New Jersey chorus frog is the opposite; its range extends from the coast of New York state down to Virginia, with Virginia representing the southern extent of its range.
Of all the species of Virginia reptiles and amphibians we've looked at so far, this is the one that will require the most travel planning to find: it has only been recorded on Virginia's Eastern Shore!
These are pretty small frogs, averaging between 0.8 and 1.5 inches in length. It can be found in a wide variety of habitats but requires shallow water for breeding in the early spring.
While you won't find these guys in southwest Virginia, we do have a much more common species that belongs to the same genus: Pseudacris crucifer, better known as the spring peeper!
Thank you to the Virginia Herpetological Society (www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com) for the use of this photo, which was taken by Anita Gould.
Herp Month continues next week with a countdown of the top five rarest salamanders in Virginia! Don't miss it!
ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).
NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!
