Southwest Reptiles and Amphibians
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Lowland Burrowing Treefrog - Smilisca fodiens
(Boulenger, 1882)(= Pternohyla fodiens)
Listen to this frog:
A short example
More sounds of
Smilisca fodiens
A short example
More sounds of
Smilisca fodiens
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| Adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Adult male, Pima County, Arizona |
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| Adult male, Pima County, Arizona | ||
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| Calling adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Calling adult male, Pima County, Arizona | |
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| Calling adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Calling adult male, Pima County, Arizona | |
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| Calling Adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Calling Adult male, Pima County, Arizona | Underside of calling Adult male, Pima County, Arizona |
| This frog lives in the desert, emerging from underground with the summer rain to breed and feed before going back underground. In order to survive during times of drought when moisture underground is scarce, this frog forms a cacoon around its body made of several layers of outer skin, which forms a barrier to keep its body moisture from evaporating. When the rains come again, the frog breaks free of the skin, sheds it, and eats it, not wasting any source of nourishment. |
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| Habitat | ||
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| Breeding habitat, Pima County, Arizona | Breeding habitat, Pima County, Arizona. Three days before this picture was taken, the shallow muddy depressions shown here were shallow rain pools with calling treefrogs on their banks. |
Breeding habitat, Pima County, Arizona |
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| Breeding habitat, Pima County, Arizona |
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| Short Videos | ||
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| Sitting at night in the Arizona desert next to a breeding pond where other Lowland Burrowing Treefrogs and Couch's Spadefoots are calling, a frog repeatedly snaps up bugs with its big pink tongue, which you can seen when the action is slowed down a few times. | Two males calling at night while sitting on wet grass at the edge of a shallow rain pool in Pima County, Arizona. |
Males at night, calling and waiting from dry land next to a breeding pool in Pima County, Arizona. Couch's Spadefoots can be heard calling in the background. |
Southwest Reptiles & Amphibians
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