North Carolina Tadpole Key 121 



KEY TO THE TADPOLES OF NORTH CAROLINA 



1. Jaws without keratinized sheaths; oral disc and labial teeth absent 



(Microhylidae) Gastrophryne carolinensis 



Jaws with keratinized sheaths; oral disc and labial teeth present 



(Fig. 2) 2 



2. Anus medial (Fig. 4A) 3 



Anus dextral (Fig. 4B) 4 



3. Oral disc emarginate (Fig. 2); tooth row formula 1-2/3; spiracle distinctly on left 



side of body (Fig. 3A) (Bufonidae) 5 



Oral disc not emarginate (Fig. 2); tooth row formula 2/4 or more; spiracle 

 ventrolateral (Pelobatidae) Scaphiopus holbrooki 



4. Oral disc emarginate (Ranidae) 33 



Oral disc not emarginate (Hylidae) 8 



5. P-2 (see Fig. 2) with distinct median gap; P-3 less than 0.50 P-l; papillary 

 border extends to lateral tips of P-2; 



light color in life Bufo quercicus 



P-l with no median gap; P-3 greater than 0.50 P-l; papillary border extends 

 distinctly around P-2; dark color in life 6 



6. Substantial submarginal papillae (Fig. 2), particularly around emarginate areas 

 of oral disc; dorsal tail fin height equal to musculature height (Fig. 1); dorsal fin 



may be higher than ventral fin Bufo terrestris 



Few if any submarginal papillae; dorsal tail fin height lower than musculature 

 height; fins subequal in height 7 



7. Dorsum unicolored; snout sloping in lateral view; tail musculature distinctly 

 bicolored; tail fin height/ musculature height 2.0 or 



less Bufo americanus 



Dorsum often slightly mottled in life; snout rounded in lateral view; tail 

 musculature often not distinctly bicolored; tail fin height/ musculature height 

 greater than 2.0 Bufo woodhousei fowleri 



8. Two rows of posterior labial teeth (Fig. 2) 9 



Three or more rows of posterial labial teeth 13 



9. A-2 gap (Fig. 2) wide; spiracular tube at least partly free from body wall; body 



slightly depressed; tail tip often solid black (Acris) 10 



A-2 gap narrow to moderate; spiracular tube fully attached to body wall; body 

 globular; tail tip, if black, with mottle or blotched black edges 11 



10. Free section of spiracular tube long, almost entire length of tube; throat dark; 



tail musculature finely flecked; Coastal Plain Acris gryllus 



Free section of spiracular tube short, less than or equal to half the length of 

 tube; throat light; tail musculature mottled or reticulated; Piedmont and moun- 

 tain valleys Acris crepitans 



11. Tail musculature distinctly striped in lateral view; light stripe extends from 

 dorsal tail musculature stripe to eye; throat and chest may be mottled; dorsum 

 of tail musculature often banded or with 



saddles Limnaoedus ocularis (part) 



Tail musculature not or only faintly striped, but without extension to eye; 

 throat and chest light; dorsum of tail musculature not banded 12 



