40 



Frogs of the Okefinokee Swamp 



most of the tadpoles the body depth averages from 1.6-2.5 times in the size of 

 transformation or body depth of tadpole in tail length from 2.5-4.5 times de- 

 pending on the species. The order of size for the tadpoles usually accords 

 with the order for size of adults with the exception of Bufo terrestris, Scaphio- 

 pus holhrookii, Acris gryllus, and corresponds very nicely with the order 

 given in table (Table 16) on transformation size. 



A synopsis of the tadpoles of the Okefinokee species with a few hypotheti- 

 cal and other species (put in parentheses) follows : 



Some may attempt to use this synopsis as a key. It may work and at 

 times it will not. To any worker who has had much field experience it is 

 apparent that tadpoles of closely related species like other animate things 

 are no respectors of man-made keys. Variations in individuals will occur. 

 This is a synopsis of mature larvae. Half grown larvae or larvae close to 

 transformation or almost transformed are often quite abnormal in the usual 

 characters used in larval descriptions. For example we raised Rana virgatipes 

 larvae from eggs but they did not attain a size large enough to get the labial 

 teeth well developed. We had to secure another series of mature larvae before 

 the description was completed. 



Mouthparts. Boulenger (1898) labelled the labial teeth row from the upper 

 edge of upper labium inward toward the horny mandibles and from the lower 

 edge of the lower labium inward toward the mandible. The author (1914) 

 labelled the labial teeth "from the outer edge of the lip to the inner row nearest 



