Distribution, habitat, and zoogeography of Distribution, habitat, and zoogeography of the plains leopard frog (Rana blairi) in Illinois distributionhabi136brow Year: 1990 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No, 136 The species-specific mating call of males is an important isolating mechanism in frogs and toads (Blair 1958a, 1964). Consequently, listening for the mating call (Litdejohn and Oldham 1968; Brown and Brown 1972; Mecham et al. 1973; Dunlap and Kruse 1976) provided a means for us to locate Rana blairi. The mating call (Fig. 2) has been described as sound- ing like 'chuc
Distribution, habitat, and zoogeography of Distribution, habitat, and zoogeography of the plains leopard frog (Rana blairi) in Illinois distributionhabi136brow Year: 1990 Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No, 136 The species-specific mating call of males is an important isolating mechanism in frogs and toads (Blair 1958a, 1964). Consequently, listening for the mating call (Litdejohn and Oldham 1968; Brown and Brown 1972; Mecham et al. 1973; Dunlap and Kruse 1976) provided a means for us to locate Rana blairi. The mating call (Fig. 2) has been described as sound- ing like 'chuck-chuck-chuck' (Conant 1975). It usually is relatively low in volume and resembles the pounding of a nail by a single carpenter in the distance. In contrast, the maung call of R. pipiens is a 'long deep rattling snore,' and that of K sphenocephala is a 'short Figure 1. Plains leopard frog {Rayia blairi) from Spring Lake, Tazewell County, Illinois, showing broken dorsolateral fold that is displaced medially just anterior to the thigh. Photo- graph by Dr. Douglas W. Whitman. chuckle-like, guttural trill' (Conant 1975). Quandta- tively, the much lower pulse rate (average of less than six pulses per sec below 24'C—Mecham et al. 1973) of the mating call of R. blairi distinguishes it from the mating calls of R. pipiens and R sphenocephala. Mating calls of Rana blairi were recorded at a number of locations in central Illinois using a Stancil- Hoffman Minitape M9 tape recorder with Altec 633A and Electro-Voice 644 microphones at a speed of 19 cm ( in) per sec. Cloacal, air, and water tempera- tures were taken with a SchiUtheis quick-reading ther- mometer to the nearest immediately after re- cording calls. A Kay model 6061A Sona-Graph was used to analyze mating calls. Distribution Rana blairi has been found at 194 localides in Illinois. The species is distributed (Fig. 3) mainly in a wide band across the middle of the state with a southern extension along the Mississippi Ri
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