TERRARIA AND AQUA-TERRARIA 



Rana clamatans, (Shaw), the Green Frog, is distributed throughout 

 the Eastern and Central States and a part of Canada. The head is 

 rounder than the above, the body and limbs shorter and more massive, 

 the tympanum of the male larger than the eye and smaller in the female. 

 The glandular fold runs from the eye to the hip with a shorter one to the 

 shoulders. The color is dark-olive on the back, brilliant green on the 

 head and shoulders, and usually white or greenish-white below with citron- 

 yellow throat. At some seasons it may be greenish-brown on the back 

 and the sides marked with brown spots. It is aquatic in its habit and 

 emits a shrill cry when disturbed, the usual note being a nasal chung, and 

 its call is chock^ chock chock. 



Rana catesbeana, (Shaw), the Common Bullfrog, is distributed over 

 the entire country east of the Rocky Mountains and is the largest of the 

 North American frogs, often reaching a body length of 8 inches. It has 

 a broad head, bulky body and thick legs. A fold of the skin extends 

 from the eye to the tympanum around the forearm socket to the breast. 

 The tympanum of the male is larger than the eye. The complete webb- 

 ing of the fourth toe and the absence of the dorsal or back fold are other 

 distinguishing characteristics of this species. Its cry is the deep gutteral 

 oft-repeated croak, wuum, wuum, wuum, wuum. 



Rana pretiosa (Cope), the Western Frog, and the Western Bullfrog, 

 Rana aurora, are not found in the Eastern States, the distribution of the 

 former being from Montana west to Puget Sound and south to Lower - 

 California. Its head is obtuse, rounded and broader than long, the body 

 stout, the eyes smaller than the Eastern Frogs, and the indistinctly out- 

 lined tympanum often smaller than the eye. A depressed ridge extends 

 from the eye to the flank; and the color is yellowish-brown above, darker 

 on the side, circular brown blotches on the back, and transverse markings 

 on the legs. The Western Bullfrog is distributed on the Western Coast 

 regions of the United States. Its head is broad, acute and rounded 

 anteriorly, the body depressed and elongated, the eye moderately large, 

 and the tympanum smaller than the eye. The glandular fold reaches from 

 the eye to the hind leg. The color is greenish-yellow with golden reflec- 

 tions spotted with black, and the sides and abdomen reddish-brown. The 

 under side is dull, spotted greenish-yellow. 



The sexes of the frogs may be determined by the size of the tympanum, 

 that of the female being the smaller. 



Toads. There are several varieties of the common or hop-toad 

 which will not be mentioned here. Toads are terrestial in habit, of dull, 

 inconspicuous color and usually considered of uncouth repulsive form. 



335 



