
John Butler, a Wildlife Biologist with the NYS DEC, gave a fascinating talk about the Atlantic Coast leopard frog at our Fall Semi-Annual Meeting. He started with a retelling of the unusual saga of the rediscovered frog species.
Carl F. Kauffeld, one-time notable director of the Staten Island Zoological Society (the Staten Island Zoo), authored a paper in 1937 on the status of leopard frogs while serving as the Zoo’s curator of reptiles. While studying local populations of Southern and Northern leopard frogs, Kauffeld was convinced that there was another frog species present, by virtue of its distinct call that differentiated it from that of the other two. The discovery failed to gain support among scientists and herpetologists, and Kauffeld’s claim of a third species of frog garnered suspicion and doubt because of the difficulties in assessing the close differences with the other two species. The findings languished in the years since Kauffeld’s death in 1974.
The idea of a third species of frog in the region continued to spark interest and research, however. Finally, Kauffeld’s initial hunch was confirmed in 2014 when Jeremy Feinberg, a researcher in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources at Rutgers University, reported on evidence that indeed a third frog species had been overlooked all these years and was now given the recognition it deserved. The frog was named Rana Kauffeldi, in honor of the dedicated herpetologist who first called the world’s attention to its presence. It came to be known as the Atlantic Coast leopard frog.
Mr. Butler’s project is to assess the number of Atlantic Coast leopard frogs on Staten Island. The most distinctive field identifier is the call of the frogs during its most active breeding time between March and May. Tiny devices, dubbed “audiomoths,” are attached to trees and posts near freshwater wetlands and ponds to listen and record the calls. Currently, Mr. Butler will listen to the recordings and tease out the singularly different Atlantic Coast leopard frog’s call against the background noise of other frogs and insects.
Once a breeding site has been confirmed, a simple count of the number of egg masses is conducted. The study also includes attaching an external transmitter via a harness to a frog to better understand its behavior in its home range. Individual frogs are fitted with transmitters each year to study its movements and dispersal. Observations are made as the frogs enter brumation, during the colder months, which is its dormant state involving reduced metabolism, activity and food intake.
Other resources on the Atlantic Coast leopard frog
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