This #FrogFriday we present Brimley’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brimleyi), named after Clement Samuel Brimley, a North Carolina zoologist who was prominent in the early 1900s. Brimley’s Chorus Frog lives throughout most of Virginia’s Coastal Plain and may be found in low areas of hardwood forests and swamps near rivers and streams. Breeding occurs primarily in shallow wetlands in open grassy areas.
Like other chorus frog species, Brimley’s Chorus Frog is small in size measuring only 1 – 1 ¼ inches long. It is usually brownish, but the color can be variable. To identify it, look for three dark stripes on its back and a black stripe down its sides, running from its snout down. It also has a yellow underside and typically dark spots on its chest. It does not have a dark triangle between the eyes, which is characteristic of the Upland Chorus Frog.
This species breeds from February to April, during which time the females deposit around 300 eggs. Its call is a rapidly repeated raspy trill that lasts under one second and sounds like someone running their thumb down a comb.
Call of Brimley’s Chorus Frog
Want even more frog facts and calls? Check out our Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, available from ShopDGIF.com, a 44-page field guide that covers all 27 species of frogs and toads that inhabit Virginia. Their calls have been captured on a high quality CD that can be easily listened to in the field, classroom, or at home!