the northern cricket frog ( acris crepitans ) is a species of small hylid frog native to the united states and northeastern mexico .

despite being members of the tree frog family , they are not arboreal .

it has three recognized subspecies .

northern cricket frog

the shaded region represents the range of the northern cricket frog in north carolina .
if you have a different species of frog already and want to get a northern cricket frog , give the new frog his own enclosure .
northern cricket frog - chattahoochee river national recreation area ( u . s . national park service )
mccallum ml , trauth se . a forty - three year museum study of northern cricket frog (
the northern cricket frog is not a protected species in texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license .
cricket frog acris crepitans this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi travis co . , texas 26 september 2012
make sure it is legal to catch and keep northern cricket frogs in your area .
natural history : the northern cricket frog is sometimes divided into two subspecies of which the canadian frogs are called blanchard’s cricket frog . they eat small insects . individuals rarely live more than one or two years .
frog fact : although populations remain stable in north carolina , northern cricket frogs have experienced severe declines in northern portions of their range , especially in the midwestern united states and southern canada .
cricket frog acris crepitans this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi dripping springs , hays co . , texas 20 september 2012
cricket frog acris crepitans this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi blanco river , blanco co . , texas 13 august 2013
[ 1096 ] mccallum et al . ( 2011 ) , growth , reproduction , and life span in blanchard’s cricket frog ( acris blanchardi ) with notes on the growth of the northern cricket frog ( acris crepitans )
the shaded region represents the range of the southern cricket frog in north carolina .
the southern cricket frog consumes pest insects and some which may potentially harm crops .
cricket frog acris crepitans this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi blanco river , near blanco , blanco co . , texas 7 may 2013
the northern cricket frog is a historic resident of new york state and represents an important amphibian component of wetland ecosystems . conservation of the northern cricket frog and its habitat is important to preserving new york ' s biodiversity and unique character . the recovery plan for nys populations of the northern cricket fog ( acris crepitans ) ( pdf ) ( 1 . 1 mb ) aims to improve the frog ' s geographic diversity and ultimately increase its population .
hammerson , g . a . , and livo , l . j . ( 1999 ) . ' ' conservation status of the northern cricket frog (
cricket frog acris crepitans this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi onion creek , near dripping springs , hays co . , texas 13 august 2013
a . c . paludicola , coastal cricket frog . range : southwest louisiana to southeast texas .
a cricket frog can jump up to 5 feet - - or 50 times its body length .
a . food . cricket frog tadpoles feed on periphyton and phytoplankton ( johnson , 1991 ) .
a collage showing cricket frog variation from a single pond on a single day in clarke co .
this version of how to care for northern cricket frogs was reviewed by pippa elliott , mrcvs on may 30 , 2017 .
there are three subspecies : a . c . crepitans , northern cricket frog . range : southeast new york to florida and eastern texas ; this subspecies is extinct on long island .
call : northern cricket frogs call from april through august , and their call sounds like pebbles being clicked together , or “ gick - gick - gick . ” southern cricket frogs call from february to october , and their call is similar to , but slightly more metallic than , that of northern cricket frogs .
i initially had this labeled as northern cricket frog ( a . crepitans ) but the taxonomy of these species have been going through some changes and i have been informed that all the cricket frogs in texas are apparently considered a . blanchardi .
numbers ( percentages ) of cricket frog specimens by gonadal sex and region and by gonadal sex and time period .
northern cricket frogs make good pets , as they do not grow very large and are easy to catch . but , like any pet , they require a specific diet and environment to thrive in captivity . if you are considering getting a northern cricket frog as a pet , make sure you are prepared to properly care for it .
northern cricket frog populations in the south differ from those in the north in several respects . evidence suggests that northern cricket frogs in texas and louisiana are active year - round and probably experience two breeding peaks ( pyburn , 1961a ; bayless , 1966 ) ; southern cricket frogs ( acris gryllus ) are also prolonged breeders ( forester and daniel , 1986 ) . additionally , sex ratios of northern cricket frogs in the south approximate 1 : 1 , and breeding population sizes are larger ( jameson , 1950a ; blair , 1961a ) .
gray , r . h . , and brown , l . e . ( 2005 ) . ' ' decline of northern cricket frogs (
burger , smith and smith , 1949 ( coastal cricket frog ) ; the coastal cricket frog tends to have larger toe pads , smooth skin , and a distinctively pinkish color , while blanchard ' s cricket frog is the wartiest , with a tendency towards more uniform coloration and less contrasting patterns ( conant and collins , 1998 ) . the call of
northern cricket frogs and most other frog species feed almost entirely on living , moving prey that they have to catch to eat . if the prey is dead or not moving , they may overlook it entirely .
you can use a water dish or simply place water at the bottom of the slope you created with the soil . this will recreate the natural habitat of the northern cricket frog . use clean , filtered water .
the southern cricket frog feeds on insects , spiders , and other arthropods . it is active throughout the year in warm weather .
you could even keep some earthworms in the moist soil in the frog’s enclosure to allow the frog to eat those . [ 12 ]
burkett ( 1984 ) states that northern cricket frogs have an average life expectancy of about 4 mo and a complete population turnover in 16 mo . gray ( 1983 ) found marked animals that survived two winters . using skeletochronology , s . perrill ( personal communication ) has found 3 - yr - old northern cricket frogs .
acris blanchardi is typically the most abundant frog throughout its range although populations are declining across the northern and western portions of their range ( see trends and threats ) .
i ' m looking into catching a cricket frog and i needed some tips and basic rules on caring for one . this was very
the northern cricket frog ( acris crepitans ) is a small treefrog of the family hylidae widespread throughout eastern north america . in canada , its occurrence has only been confirmed at two localities : point pelee and pelee island in extreme southwestern ontario .
irwin , j . t . , j . p . costanzo , and r . e . lee , jr . 1999 . terrestrial hibernation in the northern cricket frog , acris crepitans . canadian journal of zoology 77 : 1240 - 1246 .
v . post - metamorphic migrations . juvenile northern cricket frogs can disperse from breeding wetlands out perhaps 100 m to other aquatic sites ( gray and brown , 2002 ) .
geographic distribution of chytrid fungus ( batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ) and ranavirus spp . in amphibians in northern . .
remove the frog from the tank to clean it . keep your frog in a safe container with a vented lid while you clean the tank .
gray ( 1995 , 2000 a , b ) documented morphological abnormalities and frequencies of abnormalities from northern cricket frog populations in illinois ( see also beasley et al . , this volume , part one ; l . b . , personal observations ) .
hammerson , g . a . and livo , l . j . 1999 . conservation status of the northern cricket frog ( acris crepitans ) in colorado and adjacent areas at the northwestern extent of the range . herpetological review : 78 - 80 .
this is the subspecies known as blanchard ' s cricket frog acris crepitans blanchardi martin dies state park , jasper co . , texas 16 may 2013
year round ( february to october in western panhandle ) ; eggs are laid in clusters ( 7 - 10 eggs ) on the substrate or attached to submerged vegetation . call is like two marbles clicking together - - gick - gick - gick - gick - gick - - similar to the call of the northern cricket frog . to hear frog calls , visit the usgs frog call lookup and select the species you want to hear from the common name drop - down list ( be sure to listen to the southern cricket frog - - calls of both cricket frogs are grouped together on the same page ) .
hammerson , g . a . , and l . j . livo . 1999 . conservation status of the northern cricket frog ( acris crepitans ) in colorado and adjacent areas at the northwestern extent of the range . herpetological review 30 : 78 - 80 .
northern cricket frogs in canada breed in june and july . the frogs attach their eggs to vegetation below the water surface . tadpoles metamorphose in 5 to 10 weeks . the juvenile frogs reach sexual maturity shortly after transformation from tadpoles . northern cricket frogs hibernate under rocks or logs , or in depressions , holes and cracks in the shoreline , but away from water .
northern cricket frogs are non - climbing frogs , so they do not need branches in their enclosure to climb on , and the enclosure does not need much height . [ 4 ]
use these plants to create a canopy in the enclosure . in the wild , northern cricket frogs live in areas with canopies created by vegetation , along the banks of different water sources .
if you choose to keep different species in the same tank , make sure the other species you choose require the same environment as the northern cricket frog . you will want to choose a species that does not need too much height , and enjoys a damp environment .
geographic distribution of chytrid fungus ( batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ) and ranavirus spp . in amphibians in northern peninsular and panhandle florida
greenwell et al . ( 1996 ) found a massive amount of kidney parasitism in juvenile northern cricket frogs from illinois ( see also beasley et al . , this volume , part one ) .
habitat : in the past , northern cricket frogs have been found in natural marshes , deep drainage ditches and abandoned quarries . in canada it is limited to the warmest parts of the carolinian zone .
every frog will have different feeding behaviors . just watch your frog during each feeding session and evaluate his needs . start with 2 or 3 insects first , then see how fast they eat them . deciding how much and how often to feed your frog will take some time and evaluation of your frog’s feeding habits . [ 14 ]
if you have a male and female cricket frog in the same enclosure , they may breed . their breeding is aquatic , meaning it will happen in the water .
ii . clutch size . up to 400 eggs are deposited singly or in small clumps of 2–7 eggs . a detailed description of northern cricket frog eggs is given in livezey ( 1950 ) . the vitelli average 1 . 13 mm in diameter and are surrounded by two gelatinous envelopes .
( a ) numbers of cricket frog specimens from illinois deposited in museum collections relative to numbers of other anurans in museums collected in the state from 1852 to 2001 . ( b ) numbers of cricket frog specimens from northeastern illinois deposited in museum collections relative to numbers of other anurans in museums collected in that region from 1852 to 2001 .
distributions : the canadian distribution of the northern cricket frog is now limited to pelee island . it has not been heard on the mainland since 1972 and was last reported from pelee island in 1987 . it is more widely distributed in the eastern and central united states as far as southern texas .
the northern cricket frog is a small , semi - aquatic frog with a
warty
appearance and a pointed snout . the frogs are brown or grey , with a v - shaped mark between the eyes , faint markings on the back , and a broad dark stripe on the long back legs . the back feet have webbed toes . the breeding call of the male frog sounds like pebbles being rapidly clicked together . adults measure 16 to 38 mm in length .
since you will likely be putting live insects into the enclosure for your frog to eat , it may take a little while for your frog to find and eat the prey .
range and habitat : northern cricket frogs are most common in the piedmont and mountainous regions of the southeast and are generally replaced by the southern cricket frog ( a . gryllus ) in the coastal plain . although found in almost any moist habitat , cricket frogs are most common along edges of permanent ponds , lakes , and slow - moving streams . they prefer open , shallow water with plenty of vegetation . they do not climb well and are not found high in trees .
i . seasonal migrations . dispersal of northern cricket frogs from one population to another tends to occur after rains . gray ( 1983 ) observed northern cricket frogs moving up to 1 . 3 km between farm ponds in central illinois . frogs that dispersed from one location and were later recaptured at another represented 1–7 % of the original population . however , many more frogs likely dispersed and either reached other sites or died in transit .
common , but populations bear monitoring due to serious declines in other states . older references may refer to this animal as blanchard’s cricket frog , but that subspecies is no longer recognized .
gray , r . h . 2001 . cricket frog , acris crepitans , malformations in illinois : past and present . herpetological natural history 8 ( 1 ) : 75 - 77 .
breeding interval : generally , southern cricket frogs breed around 2 to 3 times a year .
is a member of the tree frog family , it lives mostly on the ground or in freshwater areas with sunlight . examples of prime habitat include shallow ponds with vegetation , meadows , creeks , marshes and coastal plain bogs . the southern cricket frog can also be found in roadside pools and ditches . in these areas , they can become quite abundant . its main choices of habitation changes , however , when the southern cricket frog ' s range overlaps with that of
three subspecies of northern cricket frogs are recognized : blanchard ' s ( a . c . blanchardi ) , eastern ( a . c . crepitans ) , and coastal ( a . c . paludicola ) . blanchard ' s cricket frogs are represented in the west and midwest ; eastern cricket frogs are found in east texas , the gulf coast and southern forest regions , and the piedmont north to new york ; coastal cricket frogs are found in the gulf coast region of western louisiana and eastern texas .
a . c . blanchardii , blanchard ' s cricket frog . range : michigan and ohio to northeast and most of texas , scattered records in minnesota and colorado ( harding 1997 ) .
gray , r . h . , l . e . brown , and l . blackburn . 2005 . acris crepitan , northern cricket frog . pages 441 - 443 in m . j . lannoo , editor . amphibian declines : the conservation status of united states species . university of california press , berkeley , california .
the northern cricket frog is protected by the ontario endangered species act and the fish and wildlife conservation act . under these acts , it is prohibited to kill , harm , harass , or collect this species , or to disturb its habitat . this species occurs at lighthouse point and fish point , which are designated as provincial nature reserves
the calls of this species resemble the sound of small pebbles being rapidly struck together . this provides music day and night to missouri’s outdoors . also , like other frogs , northern cricket frogs prey on numerous insects that humans consider pests .
whitford , p . c . 1991 . blanchard ' s cricket frog survey of southeastern minnesota 1990 - 1991 . report submitted to the nongame wildlife program , minnesota department of natural resources . unpaged .
natural history museums are valuable resources for estimations of species distributions and health status over time ( shaffer et al . 1998 ) . we examined specimen records from 16 museums to determine where and when cricket frogs were collected in illinois . to determine whether cricket frogs were not available because collecting was not conducted , we compared cricket frog records with those of all anuran collections from the state . our rationale was that scientists collecting anurans and placing them in museums as voucher specimens would not consistently preclude cricket frogs .
to protect itself from predators , the southern cricket frog is able to jump long distances of up to 8 feet and has the ability to camouflage itself either in the vegetation or water . the predators of
berendzen , p . b . , t . gamble , and a . m . simons . 2003 . the genetic status of northern cricket frogs in minnesota . final report to the minnesota department of natural resoureces , nongame research program . 43 pp .
these frogs are diurnal and active all year . they can be seen basking in the sunlight . when threatened , they will jump quickly away or into the water . a poorer jumper than the southern cricket frog
deviations of observed from expected values of cricket frog sex ( a ) by time period and ( b ) by region . expected values were determined from the overall data set using the chi - square test .
toth , aniko ,
a tale of two species - - species distribution models for two cryptic cricket frog ( acris ) species in syntopy
( 2012 ) . undergraduate honors theses . paper 522 . urltoken
be careful when attempting to catch cricket frogs , as they can be fast and they may get injured .
habitats and habits : northern cricket frogs are found primarily in the piedmont . southern cricket frogs are found primarily in the coastal plain . cricket frogs are active day and night and can be found in the shoreline vegetation of ponds and marshes , and along the banks of streams and rivers . the eggs of both species are laid singly or in small clumps , and the tadpole stage lasts about six to 13 weeks . the tadpoles of both species have distinct black tail tips .
conservation concerns : never widespread in canada , northern cricket frogs are now considered endangered by both the federal and ontario governments . the cause of their decline during the 1970’s is unknown , however habitat degradation and pesticide contamination are known to be problems within their range .
eastern and middle united states , michigan to northeastern mexico , entering the short grass plains of eastern colorado and northern mexico along rivers ( stebbins 1966 ) .
the impact of blanchard ' s cricket frog on the ecology of varsity lake , boulder , colorado , is unknown but probably minimal given the anthropogenic nature of the lake and the rapid extirpation of this population of frogs .
it may be confused with the striped chorus frog which has a whitish stripe along upper lip and length - wise brownish stripe on sides and back , toes slightly webbed . northern spring peeper has smooth skin and x - shaped marking on back ( harding 1997 ) .
if your frog doesn’t seem interested in the live food at first , he may just not be hungry . leave the food in the enclosure and the frog will eat it eventually , when he wants it . [ 13 ]
the cricket frog ranges throughout the central plains states from western texas north to south dakota and from the florida panhandle north to southeastern new york , except for the coastal plain from virginia to florida and the northern appalachians . in the east , populations reach their northern limit in the hudson highlands - shawangunk region of new york . as late as the 1920 ' s , it also occurred commonly on long island and staten island . recently , a population of these frogs was discovered on the east side of the hudson river in dutchess county .
differes from the southern cricket frog by having a more robust build , more webbing between the toes , a less sharply defined dark stripe on the back of the thigh and a pair of proment , subanal , white tubercles .
is an insectivore which consumes a variety of insects , some of which are harmful to crops . the southern cricket frog , in turn , is preyed upon by a plethora of different fish , salamanders , turtles , and snakes .
the blanchard ' s cricket frog is protected under the federal species at risk act ( sara ) . more information about sara , including how it protects individual species , is available in the species at risk act : a guide .
sullivan kb , spence km . effects of sublethal concentrations of atrazine and nitrate on metamorphosis of the african clawed frog .
the blanchard ' s cricket frog ( acris blanchardi ) is a common resident of much of the texas . the frog shown here was resting on a small lily pad in a pond at uncertain , harrison co . , texas , in july , 2004 . it was photographed with a canon eos 10d and ef 180mm f / 3 . 5 macro and flash .
dickerson , mary c . ( 1906 ) . the frog book . new york : doubleday , page , and company .
there are some easy to spot symptoms of sickness or injury that you should be mindful of when caring for your frog .
palmer bd , palmer sk . vitellogenin induction by xenobiotic estrogens in the red - eared slider turtle and african clawed frog .
van gorp , c . d . 1996 . survey for blanchard ' s cricket frog ( acris crepitans blanchardi ) in southwestern minnesota . final report submitted to the natural heritage and nongame research program , minnesota department of natural resources . 20 pp .
conservation status : both cricket frogs are common in our region but a . crepitans is declining in areas of the midwest .
johnson , b . k . and christiansen , j . l . 1976 . the food and food habits of blanchard ' s cricket frog , acris crepitans blanchardi ( amphibia , anura , hylidae ) , in iowa . herpetologica : 63 - 74 .
although widespread in the eastern and central united states , in canada , this frog species has been found only at point pelee and pelee island , in extreme southwestern ontario . the point pelee population is now believed to have been extirpated . on pelee island , northern cricket frogs have been declining to a point where they are now thought to possibly persist only in fish point provincial nature reserve , located at the southern tip of the island .
hay , r . ( 1998 ) . ' ' blanchard ' s cricket frogs in wisconsin : a status report . ' '
back is grayish , tan , green to brown ; skin is warty . back is marked with patches of yellow , green , or black , often forming a
y
shaped line . head is usually marked with a dark triangle . the hidden surface of the thigh of the florida subspecies is marked with two dark , lengthwise stripes . individuals found in the extreme western panhandle are a different subspecies and have only one dark stripe on the thigh - - stripe edges are not as ragged like stripes of northern cricket frogs . snout is also more pointed than that of northern cricket frogs . digits are tipped with tiny toepads
a 3rd grey tree frog pic shared with us . tomorrow we will be promoting # toadtuesday , maybe we should think about a… urltoken
you want to make sure your frog feels at home in its enclosure . this means maintaining the vegetation , soil , and water .
lives in the temperate climate of the southeastern portion of the united states . the range of this species , also known as the southern cricket frog , extends from the southeastern corner of virginia and spans through north and south carolina , georgia , alabama , and mississippi .
van gorp , c . d . and t . j . vandewalle . 1995 . survey for blanchard ' s cricket frog ( acris crepitans blanchardi ) in southeastern minnesota . report submitted to the minnesota county biological survey , minnesota department of natural resources . 24 pp .
number by county of cricket frogs ( n = 814 ) collected in illinois from 1852 to 1996 and examined for gonadal sex determination .
h . aestivation / avoiding dessication . during a period of severe drought in texas , w . f . blair ( 1957 ) reported that northern cricket frogs avoided desiccation by taking refuge in deep cracks in the bed of a dry pond . similar behavior has been observed in indiana ( l . b . , personal observations ) .
regardless of how you incorporate the water , make sure there is enough of it to allow the frog to keep himself wet as needed .
a survey to locate habitats that still contain cricket frogs and to identify biological and / or ecological factors affecting this species was recently conducted . several locations in orange county had populations of cricket frogs in the late 1980 ' s which became extirpated in the early 1990 ' s .
by the 1940 ' s , most historically known populations in new york state had been extirpated . this diminutive frog is now only locally present in a few scattered populations which still occur in the hudson highlands and shawangunk area . the decline of the cricket frog apparently began in the 1800 ' s with the clearing , drainage and alteration of thousands of acres of wetland habitat . aerial spraying of ddt and other chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides in the 1950 ' s and 1960 ' s is thought to have contributed to the decline of most remaining populations . other factors that may have contributed to the cricket frog ' s decline are contamination of ponds by road salt and the introduction of predatory fish , which feed on their eggs .
distributions of total numbers of illinois cricket frogs in museum collections for the five time periods . each circle represents one museum specimen from that county .
is found to be smaller and more slender . the snout is markedly more pointed , the legs are longer and more proportional to the size of the body , and there is less webbing between the toes . the first toe is partially free of webbing and 3 joints of the fourth toe are completely free . warts appear on the skin , especially around the anal area , but are not as prominent as seen in the northern cricket frog . in addition to the stripe running down the back of
northern cricket frogs can be associated with green frogs ( rana clamitans ; jung , 1993 ; l . e . b . , personal observations ) , northern leopard frogs ( r . pipiens ) , wood frogs ( r . sylvatica ) , american bullfrogs ( r . catesbeiana ) , fowler’s toads ( b . fowleri ) , american toads ( b . americanus ) , eastern gray treefrogs ( hyla versicolor ) , western chorus frogs ( pseudacris triseriata ) , spring peepers ( p . crucifer ; l . b . personal observations ) , and a great many other anuran species .
lannoo , m . j . 1998 . amphibian conservation and wetland management in the upper midwest : a catch - 22 for the cricket frog ? pages 330 - 339 in m . j . lanno , editor . status and conservation of midwestern amphibians . university of iowa press , iowa city , iowa .
within its range , the cricket frog inhabits sunny , shallow ponds with abundant vegetation in the water or on the shores . slow moving , algae - filled water courses with sunny banks are the preferred habitat . deep water is generally avoided . males are typically found calling from floating mats of vegetation and organic debris .
northern cricket frogs inhabit the margins of water bodies , such as lakes , ponds , rivers , streams , and , sometimes , temporary ponds and rain pools . on pelee island , they have been found in shoreline marshes , pools , lagoons , drainage canals used for agriculture , ditches and flooded fields . they are usually found on muddy shores or in aquatic vegetation in shallow waters .
this frog was named for its breeding call , which sounds very much like the chirp or trill of a cricket ,
gick , gick , gick . . . ,
repeated for 20 or more beats . the sound has been likened to two pebbles being clicked together , slowly at first , then picking up in speed .
its voice is cricket - like ; rhythmic , repetitive clicking – gick , gick , gick , gick , etc . it begins slowly but then picks up speed .
the northern cricket frog ' s color is quite variable : gray , tan , greenish tan , or brown . the back may have a irregular green , yellow , orange , or brown stripe . there is always a dark triangle between the eyes , a series of light and dark bars on the upper jaw , and an irregular black or brown stripe along the inside of each thigh . the belly is white . the feet are strongly webbed , but the adhesive pads on fingers and toes are poorly developed . the call is a metallic “gick , gick , gick . ”
) is widely distributed north of the ohio river and , in the southern u . s . , west of the mississippi river . several populations in western mississippi and one population in northern kentucky appear on the southeastern side of this tentative boundary .
the best thing to help your frog recover is to seek advice from a vet , and to keep it safe and out of harm’s way while it recovers . [ 23 ]
davidson , c . 1996 . frog and toad calls of the rocky mountains . vanishing voices . library of natural sounds , cornell laboratory of ornithology , ithaca . audio cd recording .
occurs , at least formerly , in northeastern colorado along the south platte river ( conant and collins , 1998 ; hammerson , 1999 ) . a record from 1905 suggests a disjunct population of blanchard ' s cricket frog may have inhabited a historical marshy habitat near douglas , cochise county , arizona , but is now extinct ( degenhardt et al . , 1996 ) .
northern cricket frogs are nonclimbing hylids that include a wide variety of invertebrates in their diet ( dundee and rossman , 1989 ; degenhardt et al . , 1996 ; johnson , 2000 ; minton , 2001 ) . their preferred habitats are quiet , relatively permanent waters , especially those with muddy vegetated banks in open country , but they can adapt to other situations ( johnson , 2000 ; hulse et al . , 2001 ; minton , 2001 ) .
one of the smaller frog species in texas , adult acris crepitans grow to 1 . 25 - 3 . 5 cm ( 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 in ) in length .
crepitan is derived from the latin word crepit which means
rattle
and ans which means
a handle
this refers to the
hand rattle
like call of the frog .
your frog will need high humidity in its enclosure . the misting will help with this , but make sure to keep the enclosure relatively warm to aid in keeping the humidity level stable .
, the frog species most often collected in illinois . years of collection ranged from 1852 to 2001 . a trend of increasing numbers of frogs collected started in the late 1930s ; there was a marked reduction during world war ii , and then the rate of collecting markedly increased through the mid - 1950s . numbers of individual anurans collected declined sharply in the late 1950s , increased during the mid - 1960s , and declined during the 1970s and 1980s . the numbers of frogs collected in illinois have since increased . cricket frog numbers were largely proportional to those of other anurans (
confusing species : other treefrogs within its range are the spring peeper , the western chorus frog and the gray treefrog . the spring peeper is distinguished by a dark x on the back . the western chorus frog has three dark continuous or broken lines down the back . the grey treefrog has a light spot with a dark border under each eye and bright orange / yellow inner thighs .
make sure to change out the water in the enclosure and clean the interior when it appears dirty . like any other pet , this frog will require fresh water and a comfortable living environment .
jung , r . e . 1992 . blanchard ' s cricket frogs ( acris crepitans blanchardi ) in southwest wisconsin . abstract , 6th annual meeting of the society for conservation biology : 140 .
most frogs do well in a 20 gallon tank , so check your local pet store for a tank this size or larger . this will allow the frog enough space to thrive . [ 2 ]
make sure you have a lid on your enclosure . use a soft screen lid . this will allow air to flow into the tank , while keeping the frog inside and safe . [ 3 ]
you may need to feed your frog more or less than this , depending on their appetite and how fast they eat what you give them . this may take some guessing and testing at first .
females can lay up to 400 eggs at a time in small groups of between 2 - 7 eggs . monitor how many eggs your female frog lays should you breed your frogs . [ 26 ]
reeder al , foley g , nichols d , wikoff b , faeh s , eisold j , et al . forms and prevalence of intersexuality and effects of environmental contaminants on sexuality in cricket frogs (
when you purchase insects from the pet store , they will come in a container that you can keep them in until you are ready to feed your frog . or , you can make your own container to use and reuse to house your frog’s food . just use a thumbtack to poke air holes in a small plastic container , to allow air in but not allow bugs out . [ 16 ]
use a spray bottle to wet the enclosure a few times a day . this frog lives in naturally damp and moist environments , so a spray bottle can help maintain this level of moisture . [ 17 ]
in missouri , northern cricket frogs are active from late march to early november . breeding is from late april to mid - july in shallows of ponds and backwaters with an abundance of aquatic plants . warm temperatures stimulate males to chorus ; both calling and noncalling males can be successful breeders . a female may lay up to 400 eggs , either singly or in small packets of up to 7 , which are attached to submerged vegetation . eggs hatch in a few days , and tadpoles begin metamorphosis 5–10 weeks later .
the eggs of the southern cricket frog are fertilized externally while in a freshwater habitat . the sperm enters the egg and soon a gelatinous cover envelopes the egg to protect it . it then develops into a gill - breathing larva , also known as a tadpole , which then metamorphoses into the mature , lung - breathing adult . from beginning to end , 90 - 100 days ( on average ) are needed to complete the metamorphosis .
reeder , a . l . , ruiz , m . o . , pessier , a . , brown , l . e . , levengood , j . m . , phillips , c . a . , wheeler , m . b . , warner , r . e . , and beasley , v . r . ( 2005 ) . ' ' intersexuality and the cricket frog decline : historic and geographic trends . ' '
burkett , r . d . 1984 . an ecological study of the cricket frog , acris crepitans . pages 89 - 102 in r . a . seigel , l . e . hunt , j . l . knight , l . malaret , and n . l . zuschlag , editors . vertebrate ecology and systematics : a tribute to henry s . fitch . museum of natural history , university of kansas , lawrence , kansas .
you can use artificial or plastic plants . you can buy these at most pet stores in the aquarium section . you can also get small hollowed out logs or rocks for your frog to hide inside of . [ 9 ]
is an insectivore , feeding on a wide variety of insects with a major part of their diet being mosquitoes . when in the tadpole stage , however , this species is a herbivore . as adults , to catch their prey , they sit and wait in ambush for insects . when a prey item comes near , they lunge forward and shoot out their tongue . the southern cricket frog has also been observed chasing after their prey on the ground .
currently , the populations of this species are increasing and stable . make sure you do a search to find out the population levels of this frog in your area , and determine if it is safe and allowed to catch them .
cleaning a frog’s tank is a lot like cleaning a fish tank , but you might have to do it more often because frogs tend to shed pretty often . a water filter will help keep the water clean between actual tank cleanings .
commonly seen along the edges of ponds , streams , and rivers , especially on open areas of mud flats and gravel bars . recent surveys indicate that this species is gone or nearly gone from wisconsin , northern illinois , and indiana , but the cause of this decline has not been determined . missouri populations need to be monitored .
if you end up with two frogs that breed , the eggs will be laid in the water . be mindful to check for eggs before cleaning the water should you have a male and female frog in the same enclosure . [ 25 ]
a . crepitans is a small ( 0 . 75 to 1 . 5 inches ) , slim - waisted frog with slender webbed toes and a triangle mark on the head . dorsal coloration can be gray , light brown with dark bands on legs . there is a white bar from eye to base of foreleg . the skin is bumpy . males have a single vocal pouch . a . crepitans is a non - climbing member of tree frog family ( barket 1964 , stebbins 1966 ) .
the endangered and nongame species program would like for individuals to report their sightings of northern cricket frogs . record the date , time , location , and condition of the animal and submit the information by submitting a sighting report form . the information will be entered into the state’s natural heritage program , commonly referred to as biotics . biologists map the sighting and the resulting maps “allow state , county , municipal , and private agencies to identify important wildlife habitats and protect them in a variety of ways . this information is used to regulate land - use within the state and assists in preserving endangered and
the scouring of coastal marshes during severe storms , and predation by birds , reptiles , bullfrogs and fish , are some of the natural factors contributing to the species’ decline . however , loss of wetlands to development is the major factor affecting populations of northern cricket frogs . damage to habitat includes drainage of marshes and the dredging of drainage canals that are used by the frogs as breeding sites . habitat degradation is an important factor as well . these frogs are intolerant of pollution , and the runoff of pesticides and fertilizers is believed to be a major contributor to the decline and disappearance of the species .
use organic soil without any chemicals or fertilizers in it . you want to make sure it is as close to the frog’s natural habitat as possible . you can also use pine bark that is easily found at any garden supply store . [ 7 ]
you can catch insects on your own , or go to a pet store to purchase insects for it to eat . since this frog is particularly small , you will want to make sure you buy or catch very small insects for it to eat .
this small frog is widespread , but declining rapidly , in the u . s . in canada , it is known only from extreme southwest ontario . there have been no confirmed records in canada since the early 1970s despite frequent searches . however , there have been unconfirmed reports of the species as recently as the mid - 1990s . consequently , it is slightly possible that the species still exists in canada . threats to this frog include destruction and alteration of its habitat and effects of pesticides , herbicides and other contaminants .
hay , r . 1998 . blanchard ' s cricket frogs in wisconsin : a status report . pages 79 - 82 in m . j . lannoo , editor . status and conservation of midwestern amphibians . university of iowa press , iowa city , iowa .
gamble , t . , berendzen , p . b . , shaffer , h . b . , starkey , d . e . , and simons , a . m . ( 2008 ) . ' ' species limits and phylogeography of north american cricket frogs (
under the species at risk act ( s . c . 2002 , c . 29 ) ( sara ) the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of recovery strategies for listed extirpated , endangered , and threatened species . the minister of the environment and the minister responsible for the parks canada agency are the competent ministers for the recovery of the blanchard’s cricket frog . environment canada led the development of this strategy , working in cooperation with parks canada agency under sara . it has also been prepared in cooperation with the ontario ministry of natural resources .
description : the green frog is a large , true frog with large , distinct tympanum and prominent dorsolateral ridges . it may be green , bronze or brown , or a combination but is typically green on the upper lip . the belly is white with darker lines or spots . there may be some irregular spotting on the back . it is distinguished from other frogs in that the dorsolateral ridges run only partway down the back and do not reach the groin . the hind legs have dark bars . males have a bright yellow throat . maximum adult size is 10 cm .
mossman mj , hartman lm , hay r , sauer jr , dhuey bj . 1998 . monitoring long - term trends in wisconsin frog and toad populations . in : status and conservation of midwestern amphibians ( lannoo mj , ed ) . iowa city , ia : university of iowa press , 169–198 .
) were examined to compare cricket frog gonadal sex in three regions of the state during five time periods . the three regions are distinguished by human population density and physiographic characteristics . the northeast region includes 11 counties with high human population densities in and surrounding the chicago metropolitan area . the central band of 66 counties , which was formerly largely prairie , is dominated by low topographic relief , fertile soils , intensive maize and soy agriculture , and low human population density . the southernmost region includes 25 counties with mixed crops , pastures , and wooded hills as well as low human population density . the five time periods studied included
, the southern cricket frog , the dark stripe on the rear of the thigh is more ragged , lacking clean borders or blending with dorsal coloration , and there is extensive webbing between the digits on the hind feet ( conant and collins , 1998 ; powell et al . , 1998 ) . like many small frogs there is a dark triangle between the eyes ( stebbins , 1985 ; conant and collins , 1998 ) . dorsal coloration and dark marking vary considerably , with various combinations of black , orange or yellow , on a background of brown or green ( conant and collins , 1998 ) . of the three described subspecies ( frost , 2000 ) ,
this small frog can be found in several colors . generally they range from black , brown , or reddish brown to bright green or gray . along with these patterns of coloration is a stripe of contrasting color beginning anteriorly at the top of the snout and running along the back towards the posterior and ends at the urostyle . between the eyes of
historically this species was found on long island , staten island , and in the lower hudson river valley . by 1930 , long island populations had disappeared , as had those on staten island by the mid 1970s ( gibbs et al . 2007 ) . cricket frogs have become extirpated from no fewer than 20 historically occupied sites since about 1900 , representing a significant range contraction within the state .
blanchard ' s cricket frogs inhabit shallow wetlands , lakes , streams , or rivers , and are rarely found in large lakes , wide rivers , or polluted sites ( gray et al . 2005 ) . they typically occupy areas along the water ' s edge , and prefer open areas with muddy shorelines and abundant emergent vegetation ( oldfield and moriarty 1994 ; gray et al . 2005 ) .
it appears to be significantly threatened only in the northwestern portion of its range . the reasons for the declines remain speculative but vegetation succession , climatic fluctuations , predation by native and exotic species , competition from other frog species , and water pollution caused by pesticides and / or other chemicals associated with agriculture are possibly significant ( harding 1997 , lannoo 1998 , hammerson 1999 , hammerson and livo 1999 ) .
has declined dramatically in the northern and western part of its range ( baker 1997 ; gray and brown 2005 ; hammerson and livo 1999 ; hay 1998 ; lannoo 1998 ; lehtinen and skinner 2006 ) . this phenomenon ﬁrst came to light in the 1970s , and has continued to the present ( hay 1998 ; lehtinen , 2002 ; vogt , 1981 ) . possible causes for decline include climate change ( hay 1998 ; irwin 2005 ) , habitat alteration ( lannoo 1998 ) , pollution ( reeder et al . 2005 ) , and habitat fragmentation ( hay 1998 ) .
) . from 1930 to 1945 , the percentage of intersex individuals was notably increased , and from 1946 to 1959 it was greater than during any other time frame examined . also , during 1946–1959 , the proportion of females was reduced . during the most recent period , the proportion of intersexes was lowest of any period except for 1852–1929 . in the 1990s , however , few cricket frogs were available from areas that previously had the most elevated intersex rates .
is a
gick - gick - gick - gick
in succession , like pebbles being clicked together ( vogt , 1981 ; stebbins , 1985 ; davidson , 1996 ; conant and collins , 1998 ; johnson , 2000 ) . recordings of the calls of a . crepitans are available on cds from elliott ( 1994a , b ) , davidson ( 1996 ) , library of natural sounds ( 1996 ) , and bogert ( 1998 ) . the tadpoles are dark olive green with small dark spots , greenish yellow venters ( bellies ) , spotted tails with slight striping on the musculature ( ashton and ashton , 1988 ) , and in many northern populations , the tail tip is black ( johnson , 2000 ) .
, there is also a darker longitudinal stripe that can be seen on the rear of the thigh . there is slight sexual dimorphism seen with the southern cricket frogs . the females are generally the slightly larger sex with a length of 16 - 33 mm and the males achieve a length of 15 - 29 mm . the males have darker throats , whereas the females ' throats are white . males also have a single subgular sac . when young , the frogs are entirely aquatic tadpoles . upon reaching adulthood , the recently changed frogs are roughly 14 mm .
adults average only 1 inch ( 2 . 5 cm ) in length ; the male is usually smaller than the female . cricket frogs exhibit a myriad of patterns and combinations of black , yellow , orange or red on a base of brown or green . distinguishing characteristics are small size , dorsal warts , a blunt snout , a dark triangular - shaped spot between the eyes , and a ragged , longitudinal stripe on the thigh . the webbing on the hind foot is extensive , reaching the tip of the first toe and the next to last joint of the longest toe .


the tennessee darter ( etheostoma tennesseense ) is a species of darter endemic to the eastern united states , where it occurs in the tennessee river drainage from western virginia to western tennessee .

it also occurs in the upper bluestone river drainage in western virginia .

it inhabits current-swept rocky pools and adjacent riffles of creeks and small to medium rivers .

this species can reach a length of 6 cm ( 2.4 in ) .

tennessee darter

etnier d . 1993
the fishes of tennessee
university of tennessee press .
in order to facilitate compute intensive research at the university of tennessee , knoxville and its collaborating institutions , nics has deployed a supercomputer named darter . darter is named after a freshwater indigenous fish native to east tennessee .
north america : found only in the upper tennessee river drainage in virginia , north carolina , tennessee and georgia , usa .
range includes the upper tennessee river drainage , western virginia , western north carolina , and eastern tennessee ( page and burr 2011 ) .
) in the upper tennessee river drainage . journal of the tennessee academy of science 83 ( 3 - 4 ) : 52 - 56 .
north america : found only in cumberland and tennessee river drainages in virginia , north carolina , kentucky , tennessee , georgia and alabama , usa .
this darter is disjunctly distributed in tributaries of the upper tennessee river in georgia , north carolina ( menhinick 1991 ) , tennessee ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) , and virginia ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . elevational range in tennessee is about 260 - 550 meters ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
as of june 30 , 2016 , darter is no longer an allocatable resource .
etnier , d . a . , and w . c . starnes . 1993 . the fishes of tennessee . university of tennessee press , knoxville , tn .
u . s . fish and wildlife service . 1982a . snail darter recovery plan .
reasons : discontinuous distribution in tributaries of upper tennessee river in georgia , north carolina , tennessee , and virginia ; distribution fragmented by many impoundments , but locally common and currently stable .
range includes the middle and lower cumberland river drainage , kentucky and tennessee ( mostly below caney fork but occurs in obey river system and barren fork collins river ) ; middle duck river system , including upper buffalo river , tennessee ; shoal creek system ( tennessee river drainage , tennessee and alabama ) ; and tributaries to the mississippi river in western tennessee ( reelfoot lake , bear creek ) and southern illinois ( cache river ) ( page and burr 2011 ) .
the tennessee aquarium offers a wide variety of special events each month . . . . learn more
numerous individuals and environmental groups filed suit to stop construction of the tellico dam , arguing that damming the little tennessee river would destroy the snail darter’s natural habitat . the court case , tennessee valley authority v . hill , went to the supreme court of the united states . the supreme court decided to uphold the mandate of the endangered species act to protect the snail darter and its habitat . after further political maneuvering , however , the tellico dam was completed , and the snail darter’s natural habitat was destroyed .
findlaw . “tennessee valley authority v . hill . ” urltoken ( accessed may 2 , 2008 ) .
global range : ( 5000 - 200 , 000 square km ( about 2000 - 80 , 000 square miles ) ) this darter is disjunctly distributed in tributaries of the upper tennessee river in georgia , north carolina ( menhinick 1991 ) , tennessee ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) , and virginia ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . elevational range in tennessee is about 260 - 550 meters ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
in september 1979 , congress passed an amendment that exempted the tellico dam project from the endangered species act . the tva closed the gates of tellico dam in november 1979 , flooding the native habitat of the snail darter . in an effort to save the snail darter , the tva had relocated many snail darters to the nearby hiwassee river prior to damming the little tennessee river . scientists also discovered snail darters in other areas of the tennessee river valley watershed after the completion of tellico dam . in 1984 , the fish and wildlife service delisted the tellico dam area as a critical habitat for the snail darter because the species died off in that area . because of the newly discovered snail darter populations , the fws changed the classification of the snail darter from endangered to threatened in 1985 .
in the mid - 1970s , a well - publicized legal battle pitted environmental groups and an endangered species of fish against a $ 100 million federal construction project . the tennessee valley authority ( tva ) was constructing tellico dam on the little tennessee river when a new freshwater fish species , the snail darter , was discovered upstream . the u . s . fish and wildlife service listed the snail darter as an endangered species under the endangered species act of 1973 .
the snail darter is a small fish , about 2 in ( 10 cm ) in length that was discovered in the little tennessee river in 1973 . in 1975 , the fws listed the snail darter as an endangered species under the esa . when the snail darter was listed on the endangered species list , the secretary of the u . s . department of the interior , which oversees the fws , stated that the snail darter resided only in a small portion of the little tennessee river . furthermore , the secretary stated that the construction of the nearby tellico dam would destroy the critical habitat of the snail darter . the secretary then stated that “all federal agencies must take such action as is necessary to insure that actions authorized , funded , or carried out by them do not result in the destruction or modification of this critical habitat area . ”
range includes the upper holston river system ( tennessee river drainage ) , eastern tennessee and western virginia ; mcclure river and russell fork ( big sandy river drainage ) , western virginia and extreme southeastern kentucky ( page and burr 2011 ) .
additional surveys may be needed in tennessee : emory river , upper duck river , roaring river , obey river system .
darter is a cray xc30 system with an aries interconnect and a lustre storage system , that provide both high scalability and sustained performance . the darter supercomputer has a peak performance of 240 . 9 tflops ( 10 12 floating point operations per second ) .
plater , now a distinguished law professor at boston college , was the lead attorney in the fight to save the little tennessee river , the last undammed river in the tennessee river basin . the river was , at the time , the only known habitat of the endangered snail darter , a minnow - sized member of the perch family . in addition , the little tennessee was part of the sacred homeland of the cherokee and , later , numerous families farming the rich bottomlands along the river . moreover , the little tennessee river was , in plater ' s description , the best trout stream east of montana .
the tennessee aquarium is home to a richly diverse living collection of the world’s most fascinating animals . . . . learn more
forest history society . “1979 : snail darter exemption case . ” november 1 , 2004 . urltoken ( accessed may 2 , 2008 ) .
the wounded darters inhabits the upper tennessee river drainage , western virginia , western north carolina , and eastern tennessee . its instream habitat is among boulders or coarse rubble and cobble , often with overhanging ledges , in medium to large slow - moving rivers . like other members of the
upper tennessee drainage of eastern tennessee , northern georgia , and alabama , including little tennessee river , watts bar reservoir below fort loudon dam , south chickamauga creek , lower portion of big sewee creek in meigs county , lower sequatchie river in marion county , little river in blount county , lower french broad river in sevier county , and lower paint rock river in madison county , alabama ( page and burr 1991 ; etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
members of the perch family , redline darters are distinguished from other species of darters by their horizontal bars and orange and white spots , giving them an almost plaid appearance . redline darters bury their eggs in the substrate . rainbow darters and redline darters are the most abundant darter species in the tennessee river drainage in alabama .
the secretary’s findings troubled the tennessee valley authority , the agency responsible for the construction of tellico dam . the tva began the tellico dam project in 1967 . many homes and farms were relocated because tellico reservoir would flood 16 , 500 acres of land . the snail darter had not been discovered when the tellico dam project began . tellico dam was 70 % to 80 % complete ( a cost of tens of millions of dollars ) by the time the snail darter was listed as an endangered species .
the biggest threat to the tangerine darter is habitat degradation . this is due to point and nonpoint pollution , erosion and sedimentation . on the pigeon river in east tennessee , tangerine darter populations declined and recovered . in 1908 , champion international built a paper mill on the little pigeon river and decimated many of the native fish . in the 1980s the mill cleaned up its refuse and the river is steadily getting better . tangerine darters have been successfully reintroduced back into the pigeon river downstream of the paper mill .
in may 1976 , the u . s . district court for the eastern district of tennessee denied relief for the snail darter advocates and dismissed their complaint . the court determined that the completion of tellico dam would probably jeopardize the continued existence of the snail darter . the court concluded , however , that “at some point in time , a federal project becomes so near completion and so incapable of modification that a court of equity should not apply a statute enacted long after inception of the project to produce an unreasonable result . ”
they are a fairly common species ; however , their range is limited to clear , cool streams of the southern appalachian mountains . the tangerine darter is found throughout mountainous regions of the upper tennessee river drainage . it resides in smaller rivers and is most common in the emory , hiwassee , little , little pigeon , and tellico rivers . it is found in eastern tennessee , northern georgia , and western north carolina , and virginia . in georgia and north carolina , it is listed as a historic species in need of management .
despite this , the free - flowing little tennessee was marked for extinction by the construction of tellico dam . building the dam was the tennessee valley authority ( tva ) , the mammoth federal agency that , out of the depths of the depression in the 1930 ' s , literally brought light and power to the tennessee and cumberland basins . as plater eloquently describes in his book , tellico dam made neither environmental nor economic sense , but that did not deter either tva or congress from pouring millions of dollars into the project .
range includes the holston and nolichucky river systems , upper tennessee river drainage , eastern tennessee , western virginia ( extremely rare , south fork holston river above the head of south holston reservoir ) , and western north carolina ( rediscovered after reported extirpation ) ; the species occurs in the nolichucky river in tennessee and north carolina , two nolichucky tributaries in north carolina , and south fork holston river in tennessee and virginia ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . the largest and most viable populations are in the nolichucky river , tennessee ( about 125 river km ) ; range extends both above and below davy crockett reservoir . in north carolina ( 1991 - 1993 ) , this darter was found at 11 of 57 sites sampled in the nolichucky river and upstream in the lowest 8 km of the cane river , the lowest 18 . 6 km of the north toe river , and in one tributary of the last ( rohde and arndt 1994 ) . this species occupies not more than 5 km of the south fork holston river in virginia . see etnier and starnes ( 1993 ) for a historical account of the known distribution .
remember the snail darter ? the little fish that brought the construction of a multimillion dollar federal hydroelectric project to a screeching halt in the 1970 ' s ? even if you ' re not old enough to remember the carter administration , you ' ve probably heard of the snail darter . but you probably don ' t know the whole story . for that , you will need to turn to a terrific book , the snail darter and the dam : how pork barrel politics endangered a little fish and killed a river , by zygmunt j . b plater ( yale university press 2013 ) .
wounded darter propagation protocols , as expected , were found to be essentially identical to those we have developed and refined since 1995 for a close relative , the boulder darter . a total of 494 wounded darter juveniles survived for release to the cheoah river in fall 2008 and spring 2009 ; and ultimately , 388 juveniles survived for a fall 2009 release to the cheoah river . 2010 and 2011 propagation efforts produced 284 and 308 juvenile wounded darters respectively for release . efforts to produce this fish have been put on hold as we evaluate the habitat suitability in cheoh . to date no wild reproducing populations have been found from our stocking efforts .
standing up to tva was a small but determined group of farmers , anglers , scientists , law students , and activists , represented by plater . over a few years , this group , with assistance from a few national conservation organizations including , i am proud to say , my organization , american rivers , learned to navigate the corridors of power in washington to press their fight to save the little tennessee river and the snail darter . eventually , the case went all the way to the u . s . supreme court which , in a landmark decision in tva v . hill , held that by enacting the endangered species act , congress intended endangered species to be given the highest priority , even above completion of a nearly - finished multimillion dollar dam . thus , it appeared that the snail darter had won and the little tennessee river was saved .
the tangerine darter is an insectivorous fish . juveniles feed primarily on mayflies and midges , and adults feed on mayflies and caddisflies . tangerine darters get their food by searching through the aquatic vegetation and eating the aquatic insects off of the plants . adults are also big enough to roll small gravel in search of prey . although the tangerine darter is not a game species , it is sometimes caught by fly fishermen using mayfly and caddisfly patterns .
range includes the tennessee river system from western virginia to hardin creek ( hardin county ) , western tennessee ( absent in upper holston river system [ north , south , and middle forks ] ; upper bluestone river system ( new - ohio river drainage ) , western virginia ( page and burr 2011 ) . menhinick ( 1991 ) mapped
questionable stream records
in north carolina and stated that this species ( as a member of the
the snail darter was intentionally introduced to create an additional population of this endangered fish when its only known habitat was threatened by construction of a dam . seven hundred and ten snail darters were introduced into the hiwassee river from june 1975 to february 1976 ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1982a ; etnier and starnes 1993 ) . in october 1975 , 61 were introduced into the nolichucky river . introductions into the nolichucky river were halted when the sharphead darter etheostoma acuticeps was discovered there , for fear the introduction would jeopardize this rare species ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1982a ; etnier and starnes 1993 ) . the holston river was stocked with 533 snail darters from the hiwassee and little tennessee rivers during the period 1978 to 1979 . the elk river was stocked in july 1980 with 425 snail darters from the little tennessee river ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1982a ) .
section 11 of the esa contains a citizen suit clause that allows any citizen to sue “to enjoin any person , including the united states and any other governmental instrumentality or agency… who is alleged to be in violation of any provision of this act . ” in 1976 , hank hill , a student at the university of tennessee , and others filed suit in federal court seeking an injunction to stop the construction of a dam that would destroy the habitat of the snail darter .
the tangerine darter spawns in shallow sandy gravel riffles that have consistent flowing water . the tangerine is a late spring to summer spawner . the breeding season , which is triggered by water temperature , begins in may and runs through july . spawning occurs at about three to four years of age , although sexual maturity comes much earlier for tangerine darters , with males reaching sexual maturity at one year of age and females two years of age . the life span of the tangerine darter is about four years .
this species has a widespread but spotty distribution in the tennessee , cumberland , and duck river systems of kentucky and tennessee ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) ; it has been extirpated in georgia ( known from one specimen collected several decades ago ) and alabama ( known from a pre - 1845 collection ; boschung and mayden 2004 ) , and it is rare in virginia , where it is known from one specimen collected in 1964 ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) and confirmed as still present in the clinch river in 2004 ( pat rakes , conservation fisheries , inc . ) . in recent years , ashy darters have been found in big south fork and rockcastle river of the cumberland river system in kentucky and tennessee and buffalo , little , emory , elk , and clinch rivers of the tennessee river system . the most substantial populations exist in big south fork ( cumberland river system ) and buffalo river of the ( tennessee river system ) ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . populations in the emory and elk rivers are represented by few recent specimens ; very small populations may exist there ( see powers et al . 2004 ) . various populations were probably extirpated before they could be discovered ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
range includes the tennessee river system from western virginia to hardin creek ( hardin county ) , western tennessee ( absent in upper holston river system [ north , south , and middle forks ] ; upper bluestone river system ( new - ohio river drainage ) , western virginia ( page and burr 2011 ) . menhinick ( 1991 ) mapped
questionable stream records
in north carolina and stated that this species ( as a member of the e . simoterum complex ) is
probably extirpated
from north carolina .
as global climate change continues , we will see more frequent and more severe droughts , reduced river flows , and greater conflict over leaving sufficient water in rivers to sustain fish and wildlife and the rivers themselves . whenever there is conflict over a river , and how its water should be used , the ghost of the snail darter looms again . it is convenient for those who favor damming and diverting water from our rivers to paint a picture in which the choice is for either people or fish , particularly if it is just a
stupid little fish
like the snail darter or the delta smelt . as these conflicts deepen , it will be increasingly important to remember that the fight over the snail darter was more than just a fight to save a tiny fish . it was a fight to save a river , one that was itself endangered and crucial to the lives , livelihoods , and heritage of the people who loved it . thus , the true lesson of the snail darter is that when we fight to save a river , we fight to save part of ourselves .
range includes the ohio river basin , from the tennessee and cumberland drainages , tennessee , western virginia , kentucky , and alabama , to the vermillion river , eastern illinois , and tippecanoe river , indiana , east to the kanawha and monongahela rivers , west virginia , and upper allegheny river , pennsylvania and western new york ( lee et al . 1980 , mettee et al . 1996 , page and burr 2011 ) . however , the species is absent from most rivers within this range ( page and burr 2011 ) .
the snail darter case changed the face of environmental law in the united states , especially in regard to the endangered species act . the decision of the supreme court demonstrated the importance of the esa and other environmental laws . the court rejected the view that environmental laws should be enforced only when convenient . the court sided with the esa over a $ 100 million federal project . despite this victory in court , however , the snail darter case illustrated the political nature of environmental law when congress voted to exempt the tellico dam project from the esa .
the snail darter was listed as a federally endangered species in 1975 ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1982a ) . after several more populations were discovered in the early 1980s , the species ' status was changed to threatened in 1984 ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
the tangerine darter inhabits clear and cool creeks or small rivers . in these rivers it likes areas that have large boulders , bedrock and a gravel substrate . it also likes to swim in the deeper riffles of these rivers . in winter , the tangerine moves to deeper pools .
the decline of this species is due primarily to elimination and fragmentation of habitat by inundation ( reservoir construction ) and degradation of habitat by nonpoint - source siltation resulting from land clearing and agricultural development ( boschung and mayden 2004 , powers et al . 2004 ) . powers et al . ( 2004 ) cited genetic distinctness and recommended that each major unit of the distribution ( duck river , upper tennessee river , and cumberland river ) be considered imperiled . jelks et al . ( 2008 ) categorized four segments of this species separately : duck river populations = vulnerable , lower tennessee river populations = endangered , upper cumberland populations = vulnerable , and upper tennessee river populations = endangered . urbanization is a threat to habitat in the lower reaches of the little river ( powers et al . 2004 ) . potential threats include pollution , siltation , and inundation of habitat .
in the nearly four decades since the little tennessee river was lost , the real story of the river and its value to the farmers who lived along it , the cherokee who held it sacred , and the anglers who traveled for miles to cast a fly in its clear , trout - rich waters , has been largely forgotten . in its place , the fight to save the snail darter has been lampooned as the archetype of environmental extremism , putting the needs of a tiny fish over those of people . as plater ' s book reveals , that story is wrong but still resonates today .
in the lawsuit to enjoin the tellico dam project , now called tennessee valley authority v . hill , the tva argued that the esa’s protection of endangered species and their critical habitats did not extend to government projects that were authorized , funded , and underway at the time congress passed the esa . essentially , the tva argued that congress did not intend for the esa to interfere with projects that congress had approved . the tva also pointed to the fact that in 1975 congress appropriated an additional $ 29 million for the tellico dam project after the tva informed congress that the project could threaten the snail darter .
in january 1977 , the u . s . court of appeals for the sixth circuit reversed the lower courts decision . the court of appeals remanded , or sent back , the case to the lower court “with instructions that a permanent injunction issue halt [ ed ] all activities incident to the tellico project which may destroy or modify the critical habitat of the snail darter . ” the court of appeals directed that the injunction “remain in effect until congress , by appropriate legislation , exempts tellico from compliance with the act or the snail darter has been deleted from the list of endangered species or its critical habitat materially redefined . ” the court of appeals noted that the near completion of the tellico dam project and congressional appropriation of money to the project were irrelevant .
this species is represented by a large number of occurrences ( subpopulations ) . total adult population size is unknown but apparently quite large ( likely greater than 100 , 000 ) . this darter is common throughout much of its range ( page et al . 1992 ) ; locally abundant ( page and burr 2011 ) . trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain but likely relatively stable .
comments : this species is represented by at least a few dozen distinct occurrences ( subpopulations ) , evidenced by more than 100 collection sites . on a state - wide scale , jenkins and burkhead ( 1994 ) mapped 27 collection sites in virginia , etnier and starnes ( 1993 ) mapped 52 collection sites in tennessee , and menhinick ( 1991 ) mapped 32 collection sites in north carolina .
habitat includes rocky pools and adjacent riffles of headwaters and creeks ( page and burr 2011 ) . this darter prefers small quiet streams with large flat rocks or bedrock bottoms ; small populations occur in small gravelly streams and in larger streams along quiet margins and beneath undercut banks ( braasch and mayden 1985 ) . spawning occurs in cavities under rocks ; females attach eggs to undersides of stones ( braasch and mayden 1985 ) .
this specuies would benefit from improvements in water quality , including reduction in siltation . populations apparently may respond quickly to improvements in water quality ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . the south fork holston river population may benefit by transplanting fishes from the nolichucky river , though fish competitors ( redline darter , sculpins ) in the former stream may limit or prevent the success of such a transplant ( burkhead and jenkins 1991 ) . conservation status can change quickly , so regular monitoring of populations is needed .
of course , as yogi berra reportedly said ,
it ain ' t over ' til it ' s over .
reacting to the supreme court ' s decision , congress created a cabinet - level body , the endangered species committee ( commonly referred to as the
god committee
) to decide whether tellico dam and future projects should be granted an exemption from the endangered species act . when the committee met to consider an exemption for tellico dam , it quickly determined that the project was an economic loser , quite apart from its environmental cost , and denied the exemption . finally , tva ' s political patrons in congress , led by senator howard baker ( r - tn ) , slipped through a rider on an appropriations bill allowing tellico dam to be completed . the little tennessee river was lost and , although the snail darter was transplanted to other streams and found in a few others , the clean , free - flowing river in which it evolved was destroyed .
this species is sensitive to habitat alterations ( braswell 1991 ) . it has disappeared from much of its former range due to the prevalence of impoundments on most rivers in the upper tennessee river drainage ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . it is moderately threatened by residential development in north carolina ( h . legrand pers . comm . 1997 ) . some populations have been lost in virginia due to pollution or impoundments ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 , s . roble pers . comm . 1997 ) .
this species is represented by a large number of occurrences ( subpopulations ) . stauffer ( 1978 ; in lee et al . 1980 ) ) mapped 80 + collection sites . total adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 10 , 000 . this species is
regionally abundant
in the allegheny system of north - western pennsylvania and the cumberland basin in tennessee and kentucky . overall , it is locally common ( page and burr 2011 ) . trend over the past three generations is unknown but probably relatively stable or slowly declining .
this species is represented by at least a few dozen distinct occurrences ( subpopulations ) , evidenced by more than 100 collection sites . on a state - wide scale , jenkins and burkhead ( 1994 ) mapped 27 collection sites in virginia , etnier and starnes ( 1993 ) mapped 52 collection sites in tennessee , and menhinick ( 1991 ) mapped 32 collection sites in north carolina . total adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 100 , 000 . populations have been characterized as
relatively small
( thompson , in lee et al . 1980 ) and locally fairly common ( page and burr 1991 , etnier and starnes 1993 ) . in virginia , this darter is generally uncommon , and apparently rare in the south fork holston river ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . this species formerly was thought to be rare , based on seining surveys , but snorkeling efforts have revealed it to be relatively common ( greenberg 1991 , etnier and starnes 1993 , jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . some populations probably have been extirpated by impoundments , but the degree of long - term decline is not precisely known . warren et al . ( 2000 ) categorized this species as
currently stable .
comments : total adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 100 , 000 . populations have been characterized as
relatively small
( thompson , in lee et al . 1980 ) and locally fairly common ( page and burr 1991 , etnier and starnes 1993 ) . in virginia , this darter is generally uncommon , and apparently rare in the south fork holston river ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) . this species formerly was thought to be rare , based on seining surveys , but snorkeling efforts have revealed it to be relatively common ( greenberg 1991 , etnier and starnes 1993 , jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) .
this darter typically occurs in warm , typically clear or slightly turbid , creeks and small to medium rivers with moderate gradient ; adults generally are in moderately swift runs and riffles with substrate of coarse gravel , rubble , or boulders ; this species is much less commonly found in areas of large slab rock and in shallow runs over gravel ; it has low tolerance of silt ( kuehne and barbour 1983 , burkhead and jenkins 1991 , page and burr 2011 ) . eggs are laid in sand or fine gravel beside large rocks at heads of riffles , and in riffles ( lee et al . 1980 , page 1983 ) .
as california is enduring the worst drought in its history , some politicians are blaming it all on federal and state environmental laws that protect fish and wildlife and the rivers they depend on for survival . and , as predictably as water flows downstream , these politicians are looking for oddly - named and seemingly insignificant creatures to cast as villains . thus , in a february 5 , 2014 speech on the floor of the u . s . house of representatives , congressman devin nunes ( r - ca ) referred to the threatened delta smelt as
the stupid little fish
whose protection is causing central valley farms to dry up and wither away . call it snail darter politics .
tangerine darters spawn by first the male mounting the female ; the female then scatters her eggs over the gravel , while the male disperses milt and fertilizes the eggs . while doing this both the male and female make a quivering motion . females choose the most brightly colored males ( bright orange black line with some blue where orange meets the black ) . males also become territorial during mating season and will defend their spawning riffles . females lay between 120 and 1 , 100 eggs . the tangerine darter does not care for its eggs . juvenile tangerine darters are found in calmer water and grow to between 2 and 3 inches ( 5 . 1 and 7 . 6 cm ) in their first year of growth .
populations have been greatly reduced or eliminated through siltation and inundation and cold tailwaters resulting from impoundment ( burkhead and jenkins 1991 ) . one large toxic spill in the upper nolichucky river could severely damage the population there and affect the conservation status of the species ( burkhead and jenkins 1991 ) . this species is regarded as
secure
in north carolina ( rohde and arndt 1994 ) . this species apparently increased in abundance or recolonized the upper nolichucky river in tennessee after water quality improved there ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . some previous pollution problems in the south fork holston river system
have been relieved , but other potential pollution problems exist
( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) .
the tva appealed the court of appeals ruling to the supreme court of the united states . the supreme court issued its opinion in june 1978 , affirming the ruling of the court of appeals . the supreme court found that the esa prohibited the construction of tellico dam , because the project would threaten the snail darter and its critical habitat . the court noted that the language of the esa is plain and does not make any exception for projects underway at the time congress passed the esa . if congress had intended to exempt such projects from the requirements of the esa , they could have simply added language to that effect to the esa . the court refused to read exemption into the esa in the absence of such language .
established in hiwassee river and range expanding ( u . s . fish and wildlife service 1982a ) . one darter observed in nolichucky river in 1980 . single individual possibly from small reproducing population or escapee from fish hatchery upstream ; none found since . elk river populations apparantly extirpated due to failed introduction ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . snail darters found in lower french broad and lower holston rivers in 1988 and 1989 presumably represent progeny of holston river transplants ( etnier and starnes 1993 ) . in 2005 , ashton and layzer ( 2008 ) found robust populations in french broad and hiwassee rivers , and low abundances in holston , little , and sequatchie rivers and big sewee and south chichamauga creeks . ashton and layzer ( 2008 ) suggested that these low population sizes may be due to a lack of reproducing populations in these streams , with individuals migrating into these streams from larger , reproducing populations in french broad and hiwassee rivers .
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powers , s . l . and mayden , r . l . 2007 . systematics , evolution and biogeography of the etheostoma simoterum species complex ( percidae : subgenus ulocentra ) . bulletin of the alabama museum of natural history 25 : 1 - 23 .
justification : this species is listed as least concern in view of the fairly large extent of occurrence , large number of subpopulations , large population size , apparently stable trend , and lack of major threats .
this species is represented by a large number of occurrences ( subpopulations ) . total adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 10 , 000 . this fish is common ( page and burr 2011 ) .
habitat includes current - swept rocky pools and adjacent riffles of creeks and small to medium rivers ( page and burr 2011 ) .
currently , this species is of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management , monitoring , or research actions .
to make use of this information , please check the < terms of use > .
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all darters lack swim bladders , which give most fish the ability to control their buoyancy . darters rest on the bottoms of streams and will jump or dart upwards when they need to gain buoyancy for swimming or eating . they are very strong swimmers and maneuver with or against strong current with ease .
native fishes are affected by runoff from agriculture and roadways . to reduce the chances of contaminants entering their habitat , always recycle your oil and leave stream banks planted to reduce erosion .
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etheostoma tennesseense powers & mayden , 2007
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justification : listed as vulnerable because extent of occurrence is less than 20 , 000 sq km , area of occupancy is less than 200 sq km , and the species occurs in not more than 5 locations ; the small number of locations makes the species highly vulnerable to catastrophic events ( such as a large pollutant spill ) that could rapidly cause the species to become critically endangered .
justification : listed as least concern in view of the large extent of occurrence , large number of subpopulations and locations , and large population size , and because the species probably is not declining fast enough to qualify for any of the threatened categories .
no major threats are known . locally , threats include siltation , pollution , and impoundment ( burkhead and jenkins 1991 ) .
currently , this species is of relatively low conservation concern and does not require significant additional protection or major management , monitoring , or research action .
justification : small extent of occurrence , but listed as least concern inview of the fairly large number of subpopulations , apparently large population size , and relatively stable or slowly declining trend .
this species is represented by a fairly large number of occurrences ( subpopulations ) . total adult population size is unknown but presumably exceeds 10 , 000 . this species is regarded as common ( page and burr 2011 ) . trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain but likely relatively stable or slowly declining .
no major threats are known in much of the range , but aquatic habitats in the big sandy drainage
have been much abused ,
resulting in a localized distribution of this species in that area ( jenkins and burkhead 1994 ) .
justification : listed as least concern in view of the fairly large extent of occurrence , large number of subpopulations , large population size , apparently stable trend , and lack of major threats .
justification : this species is listed as least concern because its extent of occurrence , area of occupancy , number of subpopulations and locations , and population size are still relatively large , distribution is not severely fragmented , and the species probably is not declining fast enough to qualify for any of the threatened categories under criterion a .
habitat includes fast rocky riffles of small to medium rivers ( page and burr 2011 ) .
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the nonindigenous occurrences section of the nas species profiles has a new structure . the section is now dynamically updated from the nas database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information . occurrences are summarized in table 1 , alphabetically by state , with years of earliest and most recent observations , and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed . the table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states , years , and drainages selected . references to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables .
page ( 1983 ) ; page and burr ( 1991 ) ; etnier and starnes ( 1993 ) .
table 1 . states with nonindigenous occurrences , the earliest and latest observations in each state , and the tally and names of hucs with observations† . names and dates are hyperlinked to their relevant specimen records . the list of references for all nonindigenous occurrences of percina tanasi are found here .
inhabits clean gravel or sandy shoals in large creeks and rivers ( boschung and mayden 2004 ; ashton and layzer 2008 ) . prefers areas lacking aquatic macrophytes and with low degrees of turbidity or siltation ( ashton and layzer 2008 ) .
diet primarily consists of snails , but also consumes trichopteran , dipteran , and ephemeropteran larvae ( boschung and mayden 2004 ) .
boschung , h . t . , and r . l . mayden . 2004 . fishes of alabama . smithsonian books , washington , dc .
lee , d . s . , c . r . gilbert , c . h . hocutt , r . e . jenkins , d . e . mcallister , and j . r . stauffer , jr . 1980 et seq . atlas of north american freshwater fishes . north carolina state museum of natural history , raleigh , nc .
page , l . m . 1983 . handbook of darters . t . f . h . , inc . , neptune city , nj .
page , l . m . and b . m . burr . 1991 . a field guide to freshwater fishes of north america north of mexico . the peterson guide series , vol . 42 . houghton mifflin company , boston , ma .
pam fuller , and matt neilson , 2018 , percina tanasi etnier , 1976 : u . s . geological survey , nonindigenous aquatic species database , gainesville , fl , urltoken revision date : 8 / 16 / 2011 , peer review date : 4 / 1 / 2016 , access date : 7 / 9 / 2018
this information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision . it is being provided to meet the need for timely best science . the information has not received final approval by the u . s . geological survey ( usgs ) and is provided on the condition that neither the usgs nor the u . s . government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information .
the data represented on this site vary in accuracy , scale , completeness , extent of coverage and origin . it is the user ' s responsibility to use these data consistent with their intended purpose and within stated limitations . we highly recommend reviewing metadata files prior to interpreting these data .
citation information : u . s . geological survey . [ 2018 ] . nonindigenous aquatic species database . gainesville , florida . accessed [ 7 / 9 / 2018 ] .
contact us if you are using data from this site for a publication to make sure the data are being used appropriately and for potential co - authorship if warranted . for queries involving fish , please contact pam fuller . for queries involving invertebrates , contact amy benson .
inhabit clear , fairly deep , rocky pools ( usually below riffles ) of creeks and small rivers . large males often found in rocky riffles ( ref . 5723 ) . juveniles feed on mayfly and dipteran larvae , while the adults consume caddisfly larvae ( ref . 10294 ) . eggs are found buried in the substrate ( ref . 7043 ) .
18 . 0 cm tl ( male / unsexed ; ( ref . 5723 ) ) ; max . reported age : 4 years ( ref . 12193 )
non - migrant : yes . at least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations . juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration .
locally migrant : no . no populations of this species make local extended movements ( generally less than 200 km ) at particular times of the year ( e . g . , to breeding or wintering grounds , to hibernation sites ) .
locally migrant : no . no populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km .
comments : adults feed heavily on immature insects associated with riverweed and on insect larvae living among gravel and rubble . young and juveniles feed on small crustaceans , diptera larvae , and baetid mayflies at stream margin .
note : for many non - migratory species , occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations .
comments : most active 0600 - 2030 h , peak at 1300 h ( page 1983 ) .
spawns may to june or july ( page 1983 , page 1983 ) . very small young have been taken in early july ( lee et al . 1980 ) . age range of breeding females is 2 - 4 years ( bart and page 1992 ) . life span is a little more than 4 years ( howell 1971 ) .
the following is a representative barcode sequence , the centroid of all available sequences for this species . there are 11 barcode sequences available from bold and genbank .
below is a sequence of the barcode region cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 ( coi or cox1 ) from a member of the species .
listed as least concern in view of the large extent of occurrence , large number of subpopulations , large population size , and lack of major threats . trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain but likely relatively stable , or the species may be declining but not fast enough to qualify for any of the threatened categories under criterion a ( reduction in population size ) .
comments : warren et al . ( 2000 ) categorized this species as
currently stable .
comments : some populations probably have been extirpated by impoundments , but the degree of long - term decline is not precisely known .
distribution has been fragmented by many reservoirs , but the species
continues to be reasonably widespread and abundant
( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
comments : distribution has been fragmented by many reservoirs , but the species
continues to be reasonably widespread and abundant
( etnier and starnes 1993 ) .
biological research needs : life history aspects have been investigated ( howell 1971 ) .
comments : some occurrences are in protected areas , such as the great smoky mountains national park . this species has been collected from copper creek in western virginia , which has been designated critical habitat for the yellowfin madtom .
needs : doesn ' t seem necessary to single out a particular population for vigorous protection at this time .
tangerine darters are typically 4 . 3 to 7 . 1 inches ( 11 to 18 cm ) in length ,
species . the males are usually a bright orangish - red color , more elaborately colored than the females , which are yellow .
chadwick d . 2010 .
silent stream .
national geographic vol 217 issue 4 116 - 128 .
greenberg l . 1993 .
a descriptive and experimental study of microhabitat use by young of the year benthic stream fishes
ecology of freshwater fish .