Amphibians
Brimley's Chorus Frog
Pseudacris brimleyi · also called Brimley's chorus frogs
Along a grassy ditch on the Atlantic coastal plain, Brimley’s chorus frog calls out with a rasping voice nearly identical to a relative found much further inland, a resemblance that leaves range, not sound, as the clearest way to know which frog is actually singing.
Overview
Brimley’s chorus frog, Pseudacris brimleyi, is a small insectivorous frog confined to a narrow strip of the Atlantic coastal plain across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Its restricted range and close vocal resemblance to the more widespread upland chorus frog make it one of the more geographically specific members of a genus otherwise known for broad distributions.
A voice shared, a range kept narrow
While its call gives away little that separates it from a common inland relative, Brimley’s chorus frog’s genuinely narrow coastal plain range is what actually sets the species apart, a case where location does more identifying work than sound.
Status
Least Concern — present and stable across suitable habitat within its narrow Atlantic coastal plain range.
Brimley's Chorus Frog: common questions
How is Brimley's chorus frog different from the upland chorus frog?
Brimley's chorus frog produces a rasping call closely resembling that of the more widespread upland chorus frog, so the two are often distinguished more reliably by range than by call or appearance alone, since Brimley's chorus frog is confined specifically to the Atlantic coastal plain while the upland chorus frog occupies a much broader inland range.
Where is Brimley's chorus frog found?
Brimley's chorus frog occupies a notably narrow geographic range confined to the Atlantic coastal plain of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, a much more restricted distribution than several of its widespread chorus frog relatives.
Where does Brimley's chorus frog breed?
Brimley's chorus frog breeds in shallow, grassy ditches, ponds, and flooded fields, taking advantage of these temporary, often fishless water bodies to complete its breeding cycle before the water dries up.
What does Brimley's chorus frog eat?
Brimley's chorus frog feeds on small insects and other invertebrates, foraged mainly from grassland and agricultural habitat outside its brief breeding period, when it spends most of its time hidden on land rather than near water.