Located on the campus of   

 Hamilton County Jr/Sr High School
1 Fox Lane * McLeansboro, IL  62859
 

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There are twenty-one species of frogs and toads (order Anura), represented by five families currently found in Illinois. Because of their often quiet behaviors they are most obvious to us during their breeding seasons when males produce their mating calls. Females do not vocalize. There's no temptation to confuse a frog with a salamander or lizard, but sometimes frogs and toads can be confused. Toads have a thicker skin and can endure dryer conditions than frogs, but they both lack scales and have skins modified to aid in respiration.

There are 12 species of anurans, representing three families, found in Hamilton County. Adult frogs and toads are usually identified by the amount of webbing between their toes, the presence of parotoid glands, skin folds on their backs and whether or not there are toe pads. Mouth structures are used to identify tadpoles and it is usually easier to allow the tadpoles to mature to adults than it is to key them out to species.

Living specimens should be kept cool and damp. Tap water and metal salts can kill them.

The following list is composed of species which have been found in Hamilton County or in the Saline River watershed.

Phylum Chordata

          Class Amphibia

                    Order Anura

                              Family Bufonidae

                                        Fowler's Toad (B. fowleri sometimes identified as Bufo woodhousii fowleri)

                              Family Hylidae

                                        Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)
                                        Gray Treefrogs (Hyla chrysoscelis - Hyla versicolor)
                                        Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifier)
                                        Western Chorus Frog (P. triseriata)

                              Family Ranidae

                                        Crawfish Frog (Rana areolata)
                                        Bullfrog (Rana catesbiana)
                                        Green Frog (Rana clamitans)
                                        Southern Leopard Frog (Rana sphenocephala)
                                        Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)
 

                                      Hamilton Co. Unit District No. 10 Schools

                                       | 2010 Jesse Nevarez| Updated 11-March-2010 |