Amphibians
Illinois Chorus Frog
Pseudacris illinoensis · also called Illinois chorus frogs
For most of the year, an Illinois chorus frog is nowhere to be found above ground, sitting burrowed into loose sandy soil somewhere along the Mississippi River valley. Then a spring rain triggers a brief emergence, and its musical, bell-like call rings out from a temporary pool before the frog disappears underground once again.
Overview
The Illinois chorus frog, Pseudacris illinoensis, is a burrowing amphibian native to sandy lowland habitat across limited areas of the central Mississippi River valley. Its fossorial lifestyle and distinctly musical call set it apart from most other chorus frog species, which spend far more time active at the surface.
A frog built for sand, not surface life
Where most chorus frogs stay relatively accessible near their breeding pools, the Illinois chorus frog disappears underground for the majority of the year, tying its entire survival strategy to a specific sandy soil type found only in a limited part of its range.
Status
Near Threatened — declining in parts of its range due to loss of the specific sandy soil habitat it depends on for burrowing.
Illinois Chorus Frog: common questions
Why does the Illinois chorus frog spend so much time underground?
The Illinois chorus frog spends the majority of the year burrowed underground in loose, sandy soil, a distinctly more fossorial lifestyle than most other chorus frog species, likely as a strategy to conserve moisture and avoid predators and temperature extremes across its sandy lowland habitat.
What does the Illinois chorus frog's call sound like?
A male Illinois chorus frog produces a distinctive, musical, bell-like trilling call during the breeding season, a sound generally considered more melodic than the calls of several other chorus frog species, making it one of the more pleasant and recognisable amphibian sounds heard briefly each spring within its limited range.
Why is the Illinois chorus frog found in so few places?
The Illinois chorus frog is restricted to areas with specific sandy soil deposits suited to its burrowing lifestyle, a habitat requirement that limits the species to particular regions of the central Mississippi River valley rather than allowing it to spread across the broader variety of soil types used by many other chorus frog species.
Where does the Illinois chorus frog live?
The Illinois chorus frog is native to sandy lowland habitat across limited areas of the central Mississippi River valley, including parts of Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas, emerging from underground burrows for a brief period each year to breed in temporary rain-formed pools.