SPECIES NOT YET HEARD ON ROUGE RIVER WATERSHED

Blanchard's Cricket Frog

Fowler's Toad

Two other species are unconfirmed in the watershed and their calls are provided on the training recording.  These are the Fowler's toad and Blanchard's cricket frog.  Volunteers who suspect they hear either of these species are instructed to notify Friends of the Rouge as soon as possible so that the species' presence can be confirmed.   

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardii) 

Click here to hear the call of Blanchard's Cricket Frog

      Photo by: James Harding         

Click on photos for larger pictures

These tiny frogs were once widespread in the southern portion of Michigan's Lower Peninsula but have declined to a few scattered pockets and are listed as a species of special concern by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.  They have not been heard by surveyors in the Rouge Watershed but have been heard in Ann Arbor.  Surveyors are asked to notify Friends of the Rouge immediately if they think they may have heard the Blanchard's cricket frog. 

Blanchard's cricket frogs are tiny (only .75 to 1.5 inches long), a little warty, and have a black triangle between the eyes that points backwards.  They are found along the edges of permanent waters, often using thick cattails to protect them from predators. 

The call is unusual and sounds like 2 pebbles being smacked together.

Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri) 

Click here to hear the call of Fowler's Toad

  Photo by: James Harding

Click on photo for larger picture     

Michigan has one other toad species - Fowler's Toad, found in dune woodlands along Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. It is usually slightly smaller than the other toad's in Michigan, averaging 2 to 3.75 inches long.   It has not been heard by Rouge Watershed surveyors and is probably not present in the Rouge Watershed.  American toads have one wart per spot; Fowler's Toads have three. 

The call of the Fowler's toad is a shrill, nasal waaa.