Acris blanchardi

Blanchard’s Cricket Frog

Taxonomy:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Amphibia
• Order: Anura
• Family: Hylidae
• Genus: Acris
• Species: blanchardi

Common Names by Region:

• English: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
• Spanish: Rana grillo de Blanchard
• French: Rainette grillon de Blanchard

Description: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi) is a small species of frog with a slender body and long legs, typical of tree frogs. They typically measure around 0.75 to 1.25 inches (1.9 to 3.2 cm) in length. The dorsal coloration varies from brown to gray, often with irregular patterns or spots. Their belly is typically white or cream-colored. Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs have large, prominent eyes and adhesive toe pads, which aid in climbing and clinging to vegetation.

Known Range: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog is native to the central and eastern United States, primarily found in the Midwest region, including parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin. They inhabit a variety of wetland habitats, including ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams.

Diet: Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs primarily feed on small invertebrates, including insects such as crickets, flies, beetles, and ants. They are known to be opportunistic feeders and will consume any small prey that they can capture.

Breeding and Lifecycle:

• Breeding Season: Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs breed during the spring and summer months, typically from April to August, depending on the local climate.
• Breeding Habitat: They breed in shallow, temporary bodies of water, such as ponds, marshes, and flooded ditches.
• Mating Behavior: Male frogs produce distinctive calls resembling the chirping of crickets to attract females. Once a female is attracted, mating occurs in the water.
• Egg Deposition: Females lay their eggs in clusters, attaching them to submerged vegetation or debris in the water.
• Tadpole Development: The eggs hatch into tadpoles within a few days to weeks, depending on water temperature. Tadpoles undergo metamorphosis, gradually developing limbs and absorbing their tail, before emerging as juvenile frogs.
• Juvenile and Adult Stage: Juvenile frogs resemble miniature adults and continue to grow until reaching sexual maturity within one to two years.

Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs play a crucial role in aquatic ecosystems as both predators and prey, contributing to the balance of local food webs. They are also indicators of environmental health, as their presence or absence can reflect the quality of wetland habitats.