the blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) is a freshwater species of fish in the sucker family .

the species has an average weight of 2-3 kilograms and an average length of 76 centimeters .

the record length has been recorded at 102 centimeters .

blue sucker

there are actually three species of blue suckers - the southeastern blue sucker ( cyceptus meridionalis ) , the rio grande blue sucker ( cycleptus sp . undesribed ) , and the
normal
blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) . they all look and behave identically .
few blue sucker sampled in fort peck reservoir indicating their avoidance of lake environments .
the blue sucker appears to be somewhat common in the missouri and yellowstone rivers .
the blue sucker is monogeneric and is not known to hybridize with any other species .
in montana , the blue sucker is present in most places that have available habitat .
cool fact
: the blue sucker is the most rare sucker in the state , but recently has been found in increasing numbers .
management of the blue sucker consists mainly of routine monitoring of the population status and habitat protection .
tuberculate blue sucker . they are incredibly cool looking fish . wisconsin river , may , 2013 .
blue sucker data records are sparse since most information collected on blue suckers is by - catch data collected in the course of targeting other species .
the blue sucker is considered an indicator species for ecosystem health because of its habitat - specific requirements .
sutton , m . 2009 . blue sucker stock characteristics in the wabash river indiana - illinois , usa .
yeager , b . , k . semmens . 1987 . early development of the blue sucker , cycleptus elongatus .
mestl , g . 2009 . seasonal use distributions and migrations of blue sucker in the middle missouri river , usa .
as the police are dragging blue off at the end it ' s implied blue will name him as an accomplice .
in 1994 the blue sucker was listed by the u . s . fish and wildlife service as a category 2 species .
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of sucker for the boss by blue sky books .
blue sucker sampled in montana are typically older and large fish with lengths of 60 to 75 centimeters and 3 - 5 kilograms .
this article focuses on blue jones ' real world persona . for his brothel reality counterpart , see blue jones ( brothel ) .
like all big river fish , riverine losses have occurred due to impoundments , where there have been major population losses and blue sucker populations have been fragmented . in montana , the blue sucker is present in most places that have available habitat . the lower yellowstone river blue sucker population would probably exist farther upriver if the cartersville diversion dam and other diversion dams on the yellowstone did not restrict upriver passage .
burr , b . , j . garvey . 2006 . ecology of larval blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) in the mississippi river .
daugherty , d . , t . bacula , m . sutton . 2008 . reproductive biology of blue sucker in a large midwestern river .
however , where extensive riverine losses have occurred due to impoundments , there have been major population losses and blue sucker populations have been fragmented .
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length - frequency distribution for blue sucker populations sampled by electrofishing and drift netting in the upper and lower missouri and lower yellowstone rivers , montana .
the usfws , usgs , and montana fish , wildlife , and parks currently track movements of tagged blue sucker in the yellowstone and missouri rivers .
the blue sucker maintains its level i species of conservation priority ranking . currently a project to identify this species important spawning areas is under development .
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arkive photo - blue sucker , held by researcher
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the blue sucker has a back and sides that are dark blue to dark olive , and a white underside . its most distinctive features are its elongated head / snout and the tall , sickle - shaped dorsal fin .
the blue sucker is listed as threatened in wisconsin ( see the wi dnr blue sucker page for information and photos ) . its range has been massively curtailed by the march of “progress” : dams , dredging , pollution , silt , reduced flow , warmer water , and other side effects of our presence .
to ask other readers questions about sucker for the boss , please sign up .
2 . ( a sucker for ) a person particularly susceptible to or fond of a specified thing : i always was a sucker for a good fairy tale .
eitzmann , j . , a . makinster , c . paukert . 2007 . distribution and growth of blue sucker in a great plains river , usa .
practical joke . . . . after eating something with a blue coding then giving a guy head and leaving a tint of blue on his junk .
12 - pound blue sucker captured by corey geving while electrofishing in the mississippi river at the minnehaha creek off - leash dog park in downtown minneapolis , mn . 2006
blue suckers prefer waters with low turbidity and swift current ( brown 1971 ) .
hah after sally blue suckered dave . . he thought he got an std .
mestl , g . 2010 . seasonal resource selection by blue suckers cycleptus elongatus .
minytrema melanops , the spotted sucker . ( image credit : ohio department of natural resources )
oh man , i fish this stretch all the time . plenty of sturgeon and redhorse , but i’ve never seen a blue sucker here . cool read , thanks for sharing !
in the spring blue suckers migrate upriver and congregate in fast rocky areas to spawn .
the blue sucker is extremely sensitive to pollution , and its presence indicates a healthy environment . the decline of the blue sucker in the 20th century was probably caused by siltation , pollution , physical changes in the environment ( such as the partial filling of channels by floods ) , and dams ; which slow the current , increase silting , and block migration .
the table below lists the natural communities that are associated with blue sucker . only natural communities for which blue sucker is
high
( score = 3 ) or
moderate
( score = 2 ) associated are shown . see the key to association scores for complete definitions . please see the wildlife action plan to learn how this information was developed .
blue suckers have been found in many of the major tributary streams during their spawning season .
u . s . fish and wildlife service . status report on blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) , a candidate endangered or threatened species . north dakota state office : ecological services . 1993 .
dnr icthyologist john lyons gives a hands - on lesson about the blue sucker , a resident of deep large - river habitats that is almost never seen by anyone other than fish biologists . yet , because it only thrives in the least - modified and highest - quality waters , the abundance of the blue sucker is a key indicator of the health of the state ' s largest rivers .
sucker punch will now succeed if the opponent is using me first , regardless of who is faster .
blue sucker eggs develop inside the body of the females . neither one of the parents invests time or energy into their young after females release the eggs . adults and juveniles live in different habitats .
identification : elongate body with small head . snout pointed , slightly bulbous at tip . back and sides blue to blue black , belly whitish . adult length : 2 feet ( 61cm ) .
historically , the blue sucker was common and a highly prized commercial species known locally as “sweet sucker” . however , in the 1930’s , the construction of the u . s . lock and dam system for navigation on the upper mississippi river drastically altered the species’ habitat from a free - flowing river into a series of reservoirs . this , in conjunction with widespread water pollution over several decades , decimated populations . since the passage of the clean water act in 1972 , the blue sucker has exhibited a remarkable recovery . however , its abundance remains far below historical accounts , and it is generally rare throughout its range . for these reasons , the blue sucker was listed as a special concern species in 1984 .
i caught 10 blue suckers in kansas today . one weighing 8lbs and being nearly 30 inches . wondering if it is normal to find blue suckers in kansas or if this is some sort of accident .
what ' s in a name ? blue sucker : named for its deep blue color cycleptus ( sigh - klep ´ - tuss ) refers to its small , round mouth ; coined by the namer elongatus ( eelong - got ´ - tuss ) means
elongate
in latin ; based on its long body .
great explanation . one last thing is still circling in my head is ' sucker ' is a negative word . ' sucker ' is loser . ' suck at ' means ' not good at ' . ' sucker for ' seems to be a more positive word much like ' i love it ' . this sounds conflicting to me .
blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) , a fish listed as threatened in wisconsin , prefers large , deep rivers with moderate to strong currents over substrates of gravel or cobble . spawning occurs from late april through early may .
the blue sucker is a fish of legend . once extremely common throughout the central united states , it has since declined due to the damming of the continent ' s major rivers . a mysterious wanderer of the deep , blues travel hundreds of miles to find their ancestral spawning sites . blue suckers are big fish - they can easily top ten pounds and a few up to 20 pounds have been taken in years past . to catch a blue sucker on hook and line is one of the greatest fishing accomplishments that any american angler can hope to achieve .
hand , g . r . , and d . c . jackson . 2003 . blue sucker stock characteristics in the upper yazoo river basin , mississippi , usa . fisheries management and ecology 10 ( 3 ) : 147 .
sucker punch has a power of 80 . it has a priority of + 1 , so it is used before all moves that do not have increased priority . if sucker punch ' s target has selected a physical or special attack and has not yet had a chance to execute its move , sucker punch will damage the target ; otherwise , sucker punch will fail . sucker punch only depends on the move the target has selected , and is not affected by any consideration of whether the attack can actually be executed , such as status conditions like sleep or freeze or abilities like truant .
i don ' t know why i volunteered for this job . i ' m a sucker for punishment i guess .
additional research needs for the blue sucker in minnesota include life history studies , identification of habitat guilds , and identification of limiting factors and opportunities for fish passage around dams on the minnesota , mississippi , and st . croix rivers .
blue ' s incarnations : orderly ( top ) , thug ( center ) , brothel host ( bottom ) .
sucker punch ( japanese : ふいうち surprise attack ) is a damage - dealing dark - type move introduced in generation iv .
blue suckers make long spawning movements from the lower missouri river to upstream areas and tributary streams . dispersal downstream follows .
there are strong indications that blue has raped most of the women in lennox house , including dr . vera gorski .
daugherty , d . j . , t . d . bacula , and t . m . sutton . 2008 . reproductive biology of blue sucker in a large midwestern river . journal of applied ichthyology 24 ( 3 ) : 297 - 302 .
the use of water for agricultural , industrial , and municipal purposes along the river may impact blue sucker populations by reducing water levels . entrainment of fish in irrigation systems , and oil and gas development within the basin are also recognized as threats .
coloration : life colors of male olive blue or slate olive on dorsum and sides of body with brassy reflections ; venter bluish - white ; lips white ; all fins dark blue - gray , dusky , or black . breeding males darken to blue - black . no significant color differences between males and females . peritoneum silvery ( burr and mayden 1999 ) .
blue jones is the main antagonist of sucker punch . within the lennox house , he appears as an orderly in charge of main operations and basic registration of girls , while within babydoll’s fantasies he appears as a mobster who owns and operates the brothel .
very few young - of - year ( yoy ) blue suckers have been collected while sampling with a variety of methods .
the table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for blue sucker . the scores correspond to the map ( 3 = high , 2 = moderate , 1 = low , 0 = none ) . for more information , please see the wildlife action plan .
eitzmann , j . l . , a . s . makinster , c . p . paukert . 2007 . distribution and growth of blue sucker in a great plains river , usa . fisheries management and ecology 14 ( 4 ) : 255 - 262 .
lyons believes that both blue sucker and shovelnose sturgeon populations are stable in the wisconsin river , which is good news . if they can get a passage built around the dam and the fish actually use it , the news will only get better and better .
prior to an update to niantic ' s servers on july 30 , 2016 , sucker punch had an energy gain of 4 % .
management of the blue sucker consists mainly of routine monitoring of population status and habitat protection . the blue sucker is considered an indicator species for ecosystem health because of its habitat - specific requirements . current monitoring information indicates the populations are in stable condition . efforts towards locating spawning and rearing areas should be continued . habitat protection includes protecting or promoting the natural spring - time hydrograph . establishment of more natural seasonal flow conditions are presently being discussed and initiated for three storage reservoirs in montana ( montana afs species status account ) .
tuberculate blue sucker . they are incredibly cool looking fish . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) held by john lyons . this is the only full body shot i took all day . blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) lips . the definition of papillose . blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) lips . i got to act for a minute like i’d caught this 35 - 40 lb . lake sturgeon netted during electrofishing on the wisconsin river , may , 2013 . shovelnose sturgeon , top view . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . shovelnose sturgeon , bottom view . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . shovelnose sturgeon tail ( with filament ) . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . john lyons with a tuberculate river redhorse ( moxostoma carinatum ) . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . ( aaron contemplates the universe in the background . ) river redhorse ( moxostoma carinatum ) . wisconsin river , may , 2013 . river redhorse ( moxostoma carinatum ) all tubed up for the party . wisconsin river , may , 2013 .
at least in my experience ,
i ' m a sucker for x
means that i am drawn to x regardless of what other characteristics x may have . the connection to sucker meaning something like loser , therefore , is that someone who is a sucker for something may get into a bad situation as a result , or at the very least enjoys x to a degree that seems injudicious and excessive .
after blue kills amber and blondie with the gun he gets from cj , he mutters that he doesn ' t like guns .
morey , n . m . , and c . r . berry , jr . 2003 . biological characteristics of the blue sucker in the james river and the big sioux river , south dakota . journal of freshwater ecology 18 ( 1 ) : 33 - 42 .
moss , r . e . , j . w . scanlan , and c . s . anderson . 1983 . observations on the natural history of the blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus le sueur ) in the neosho river . american midland naturalist 109 : 15 - 22 .
' sucker ' , afaik , is used to indicate a ' loser ' . if my understanding above is correct . . . how does ' sucker for ' becomes an indication of an enthusiast and not of a loser ? ( i know ' suck at ' indicates a loser . )
diet : a gregarious fish , blue suckers are bottom feeders . eat insects , insect larvae , crustaceans , plant material and algae .
fish surveys of the minnesota , mississippi , and st . croix rivers have shown increasing numbers of blue sucker since the early 1990s . large tracts of the mississippi river are protected within the boundaries of the upper mississippi river national wildlife and fish refuge , and the st . croix river is afforded some protection by its designation as a national scenic riverway , as well as by three state parks and a state scientific and natural area . the recent inception of minnesota’s clean water legacy program will eventually yield benefits to blue sucker habitats through nutrient and sediment load reductions .
the blue sucker is an elongate , torpedo - shaped fish with a distinctly pointed snout , an underslung mouth , and a long dorsal fin . the pectoral finsare distinctly sickle - shaped . the overall color is a steely blue - gray ; this can be variable in that murkier water produces lighter coloration , while fish from clearer waters tend to be darker . overall , it ' s a striking and unique fish .
the blue sucker is currently listed as an
s2s3
species of concern in montana because they are potentially at risk of extirpation in the state , because of limited and / or declining numbers , range and / or habitat , even though it may be abundant in some areas .
management guidelines : wisconsin populations of blue sucker represent some of the largest remaining in the upper mississippi river basin , and therefore merit careful management . this species is intolerant to turbidity and pollution , so sources of pollution discharge and soil runoff within its range should be monitored and minimized .
(
status report on blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) , a candidate endangered or threatened species
, 1993 ; burr and garvey , 2006 ; eitzmann , et al . , 2007 ;
species profile : minnesota department of natural resources
, 2012 ; sutton , 2009 )
in montana , the most informative data available about blue suckers is length distribution data for the three river reaches where this species is found .
(
status report on blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) , a candidate endangered or threatened species
, 1993 ; burr and garvey , 2006 ; eitzmann , et al . , 2007 ;
species profile : minnesota department of natural resources
, 2012 ; yeager and semmens , 1987 )
breeding males darken and develop small tubercles ( small , hardened , breeding growths ) sprinkled on the head , scales , and rays of all fins . presumably a bottom feeder , the blue sucker’s diet likely includes aquatic insects , insect larvae , crustaceans , plant material , and algae . young blue suckers are likely preyed on by walleye ( stizostedion vitreum ) and small mouth bass ( micropterus dolomieu ) as well as by fish - eating birds .
biological notes on blue suckers in the mississippi river . trans . amer . fish . soc . 109 ( 3 ) : 323 - 326 .
being colorblind doesn ' t mean you see the world in black and white . but it does mean that you have difficulty distinguishing between certain colors . for mark zuckerberg , blue is the
richest
color he can see — which is why facebook ' s dominant color is blue .
[ mark zuckerberg ] walked into the house , which is painted in various shades of blue and beige , except for the kitchen , which is a vibrant yellow . colors don ' t matter much to zuckerberg ; a few years ago , he took an online test and realized that he was red - green color - blind . blue is facebook ' s dominant color , because , as he said ,
blue is the richest color for me—i can see all of blue .
standing in his kitchen , leaning over the sink , he offered me a glass of water .
i recently came across a couple usages of ' sucker for ' which indicates that it means ' crazy about ' , ' enthusiastic for ' , or ' interested in ' . for example , ' i am a sucker for sports . ' , seems to say , ' i am a sports enthusiast . ' .
moss , r . e . , j . w . scanlan , and c . s . anderson . 1983 . observations on the natural history of the blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus le sueur ) in the neosho river . amer . midl . nat . 109 ( 1 ) : 15 - 22 .
adams , s . r . , m . b . flinn , b . m . burr , m . r . whiles , and j . e . garvey . 2006 . ecology of larval blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) in the mississippi river . ecology of freshwater fish 15 : 291 - 300 .
vokoun , j . c . , t . l . guerrant , and c . f . rabeni . 2003 . demographics and chronology of a spawning aggregation of blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) in the grand river , missouri , usa . journal of freshwater ecology 18 ( 4 ) : 567 - 575 .
prior to an update to niantic ' s servers on february 16 , 2017 , sucker punch had a power of 7 and a duration of 0 . 7 seconds .
the blue sucker has a widespread distribution extending throughout the mississippi , missouri , ohio , and portions of the rio grande river systems ( elstad and werdon 1993 ) . in montana , it is found in the missouri as far upriver as morony dam near great falls , and in the yellowstone upriver of forsyth , mt .
montana has some of the finest habitat for blue suckers found in their range and losses of the montana populations would be significant to the overall gene pool .
the table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank ( s and g ranks ) for blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) . see the working list key for more information about abbreviations . counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the wisconsin natural heritage inventory database . the map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet nhi data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations .
dyer , w . g . , and w . j . ploy . 2002 . first record of rhabdochona cascadilla wigdor , 1918 ( nematoda : thelazioidea ) in the blue sucker , cycleptus elongatus ( lesueur , 1817 ) , from illinois . transactions of the illinois academy of science 95 ( 2 ) : 107 - 109 .
leiby , p . d . , d . c . kritsky , and d . d . bauman . 1973 . studies on helminthes of north dakota . vii . ancyrocephalinae ( monogenea ) from the gills of the blue sucker , cycleptus elongatus ( lesueur ) . can . j . zool . 51 : 777 - 779 .
despite its name , sucker punch is not a punching move . the term sucker punch refers to an unexpected or cheap shot at an opponent , akin to its japanese name , which translates to surprise attack . thus , many pokémon that do not possess arms can learn this move , and its base power is not increased by iron fist .
spotted sucker ( minytrema melanops ) swimming in the head spring of the ichetucknee river , florida , usa . ( image credit : ben young landis / cc - by )
moreover , because of the blue suckers preference for main channel swift water habitats , they are difficult to sample and consequently have not been sampled in large numbers .
hogue , j . j . , jr . , j . v . conner , and v . r . kranz . 1981 . descriptions and methods for identifying larval blue sucker , cycleptus elongatus ( lesueur ) . rapp . p . - v . reun . cons . int . explor . mer . 178 : 585 - 587 .
mulling over the german word for thursday while sheltering yourself from a torrential storm one morning , this one may have hit you like a bolt out of the blue .
the loss of suitable habitat caused by a change in the riverine regime is the largest problem affecting this species . historically , blue suckers were present throughout the entire missouri river system . the construction of dams and channelization has largely changed the river system . dams have reduced the sediment load , which in turn has lowered turbidity . the release of cold water from impoundments has lowered the overall temperature of the system making much of the missouri river too cold for blue sucker . dams also have fragmented populations by restricting movement throughout the system .
lyons , j . 2014 . blue sucker , cycleptus elongatus . online account in : j . lyons , editor . fishes of wisconsin e - book . wisconsin department of natural resources , madison , and u . s . geological survey , middleton , wi . < http : / / www . fow - ebook . us > . accessed 6 may 2016 .
white , ds , kh haag . 1977 . foods and feeding habits of the spotted sucker , minytrema melanops ( rafinesque ) . american midland naturalist 98 ( 1 ) : 137 - 146 .
i ' m a sucker for sports
, basically means ,
i haven ' t grown out of sports , and i can ' t help but want more of it .
5 . the traditional seersucker fabric is blue and white , but you can also find shorts , suits , pants , shirts , skirts , and dresses in a variety of colors .
the blue sucker prefers deep , swift water in channels of large rivers with sand , gravel , or rubble bottoms . the species are often associated with wing dams on the mississippi river and with woody snags in the st . croix river . they are tolerant of high turbidities , if currents are swift enough to prevent siltation ( j . t . hatch , in preparation ) .
good article ! i recently caught a 17 . 5 inch spotted sucker while fishing in northern florida . its definitely one of my most unique freshwater catches i have had in the state of florida .
@ nishant i think alcas has explained that very well . you lose out to your attraction to { whatever } , possibly against your better judgement . sucker for is not necessarily a positive idiom .
prior to an update to niantic ' s servers on february 21 , 2017 , sucker punch had a power of 8 , an energy gain of 9 % , and a duration of 1 . 2 seconds .
additionally , young - of - the - year blue suckers have been sampled at the milk river confluence and in big muddy creek of the lower missouri river ( liebelt 1996 and stewart 1980 ) .
@ nishant : think about
sucker for
as
addicted to
. example 3 :
i don ' t know why i volunteered for this job . i ' m addicted to punishment i guess
.
blue suckers occur at highest frequency in the missouri river’s freeflowing stretches above lake sakakawea and lake oahe . the confluence areas of larger tributaries such as the knife and cannonball rivers are likely key areas for spawning .
the ichetucknee river is one such ecosystem . even though we visited on a clouded , rainy day , the radiant blue of the ichetucknee’s waters easily fought through the gray - gloom light to greet our eyes .
blue suckers are considered near threatened by the iucn red list , and of special concern by the us fish and wildlife service . more information on population distribution and densities is needed to further assess this species ' conservation needs . the decline in their numbers appears to have been caused by pollution , buildup of sediment , overfishing , and building dams . blue suckers also face competition from invasive species for resources and breeding habitat .
it goes without saying that this fish should be protected and conserved wherever possible . in angling for this fish , please exercise restraint and prudence . however , on the whole , the establishment of the blue sucker as a sportfish of the highest order will do more for the species than any efforts at concealing its habits or protecting the individuals . hence , i will do my best to tell you what i have found out over the years .
sucker for sports
means you will watch / play / purchase things related to sports without consideration of what other qualities it has other than being a
sport
.
sucker for football
would mean you will watch , buy , engage in anything football related with little or no regard to its other qualities other than it is football related . this is usually in a negative way , most of the time , self - deprecating in a light - hearted manner .
where do they live ? the blue sucker is one of minnesota ' s rare fishes , known only to live in its large , southern rivers , including the lower portions of the minnesota , st . croix , and mississippi rivers . they are commonly located in deeper fast moving channels of these rivers where the bottoms have lots of gravel or cobble . they are found living with the following fish : shorthead redhorse , common carp , shovel nose sturgeon , sauger and walleye .
all of these illustrate the concept that to be a sucker for something means to be attracted to it while being somewhat blind to its other qualities , suffering as a result . 1 ) would be most likely uttered in a context where the speaker is justifying how he got involved in a regrettable relationship - he shouldn ' t have been with this person for some reason , but he ' s a sucker for a pretty face . 2 ) implies that ted not only likes whipped cream , but will automatically eat any dessert with whipped cream on it , no matter how tasteless the amount of whipped cream . 3 ) has the speaker sarcastically suggesting that , since her job is so unpleasant , nobody would have volunteered for it unless they were a sucker for punishment .
back at the asylum , after babydoll is lobotomized , it is revealed that blue faked dr . gorski’s signature on the medical forms authorizing the lobotomy . as a way of getting revenge upon baby for being stabbed , blue once again attempts to advance on her , but this time he softly complains that she has lost herself , and that she isn ' t allowed to lose herself until he says so . he even releases a tear because baby is unable to resist . he kisses her , but she doesn ' t fight or struggle or does anything . to get a reaction , blue begins to strangle babydoll ; however before he can do any real harm police officers , led by dr . gorski , arrest him for forgery . as he is being taken away , the clearly insane blue yells about the money babydoll ' s stepfather gave him and says he protects his girls , nothing was done to babydoll , and claims he will tell the officers everything .
what do they eat ? blue suckers keep roughly the same diet during the juvenile and adult period of their life cycles . adults just include larger food items . they eat mostly aquatic insect larvae but also include crustaceans , plant materials and algae .
misunderstood loner with a heart of gold : baby doll initially views her as an aloof advisor who is powerless to help them against blue . it turns out that she ' s a kind , caring psychiatrist who wants to help the girls recover .
the spotted sucker has a wide geographic range , spanning southern ontario down through more than 22 states in the u . s . , including wisconsin , kansas , pennsylvania , kentucky , north carolina , and the gulf coast states like texas , louisiana , mississippi , alabama and georgia .
the distribution of blue sucker ( cycleptus elongatus ) in minnesota includes the mississippi river downstream of st . anthony falls , minnesota river downstream of granite falls , and st . croix river downstream of taylors falls . historically , it occurred in the st . croix river upstream of taylors falls , but has not been reported there since 1979 ( lyons et al . 2012a ) . the species has also been found in lower reaches of the cannon and zumbro rivers in southeastern minnesota and in wisconsin’s chippewa river ( hatch et al . in preparation ) .
how big do they get ? how long do they live ? the blue sucker has not been carefully studied . we believe it commonly lives to 7 or 8 years old , but it can live for more than 10 years . lengths of 500 - 600 mm ( 20 - 24 in ) or more are common . these fish typically weigh 2 - 3 kg ( 4 - 6 lbs ) . the minnesota state record for this fish is 6 . 85 kg ( 14 lbs 3 oz ) and was caught from the mississippi river in wabasha county .
spotted suckers belong to family catostomidae , collectively known as “suckers” after their mouth shape and feeding habits . all are freshwater species , with nearly 80 in the united states , canada and mexico , and curiously , one in siberia and one in china . their names are as diverse as their range of shapes , sizes and colors — quillback , chubsucker , hog sucker , buffalo , jumprock , razorback , redhorse . and during breeding time , many sucker species get pimply — they develop bumpy growths called tubercles on their fins , and depending on the species and gender , on their heads as well .
blue , from the girl’s point of view , is seen as a threat . he believes he holds the power within the brothel : “i’ve got everything under control . ” he is shown exerting his power over both dr . gorski and the girls . after observing the girls changing behaviors as a result of babydoll’s presence blue begins to become suspicious of the activities of the girls , and ultimately overhears blondie talking about the girls plan to escape . as a result , he directly confronts them and shoots both amber and blondie dead . in a fit of lust , blue tries to feel the pleasure he grants his clients by attempting to rape babydoll , claiming he doesn’t want anybody to play with his ‘toys’ . however baby overpowers him , stabbing him with the knife that was collected from the cook , claiming that he will never have her .
restoring blue suckers to historic habitats in minnesota will require dam removal or installation of fish passage features such as ladders or lifts on the st . croix river at taylors falls , the minnesota river from granite falls to big stone lake , and the mississippi river at lock and dam 1 .
in the ‘real world’ blue takes a bribe from baby’s stepfather to have her lobotomized in five days’ time when the doctor comes in order to relieve her of any memories pertaining to the murder of her sister or her mother’s fortune . in those 5 days babydoll attempts to escape the lennox house .
the beauty of german is its
does what it says on the tin
structure . a vacuum cleaner is a staubsauger - literally dust sucker , because that ' s exactly what it does . in the same vein , an airplane is a flugzeug ( a flying thing ) and a lighter is a feuerzeug ( fire thing ) .
' fond of ' yeah this word - - i take this word as a positive word ( unless used sarcastically ) , while ' sucker ' rings as ' boo ! ' ( perhaps my own mental circuitry ) in my mind . it was confusing . but i am more at ease with it . : ) thanks for the answer .
blue suckers are the most migratory of the purely freshwater american fishes , often travelling hundreds of miles from their normal summer habitat to the spawning grounds in the spring . they are also amazingly attached to their home base , often returning to the exact spot they started in after swimming hundreds of miles up and downstream . some blue suckers have been tracked swimming three hundred miles up and downriver every single year for a decade . each summer , they returned to spend the summer under the same sunken log as they had year before . how the fish are able to do this is unknown , but it ' s something to keep in mind when looking for them .
one fish new to me was the spotted sucker ( minytrema melanops ) , which cruised along the spring bottom , using their underslung jaws and fleshy lips to suck up sand and sift out crustaceans and aquatic insects ( white and haag 1977 ) . wary feeders , their sleek , spotted bodies easily swam out of the way as i approached , like herds of deer browsing and pausing across a meadow .
“young mammal before it is weaned” , late 14c . , agent noun from suck . slang meaning “person who is easily deceived” is first attested 1836 , in american english , on notion of naivete ; the verb in this sense is from 1939 . but another theory traces the slang meaning to the fish called a sucker ( 1753 ) , on the notion of being easy to catch in their annual migrations .
lyons explained that the sampling we did ( and which he and his crews do periodically in the same area ) is part of a project aimed at better understanding the biology—age and growth , seasonal movements , habitat use , and timing and locations of spawning—of shovelnose and lake sturgeon , paddlefish , and blue suckers in the wisconsin river . the plan is to build a serious fish passage to let fish get around the prairie du sac dam . this will make it possible for paddlefish , shovelnose , and blue suckers to re - establish themselves above the dam and it will allow lake sturgeon access to prime spawning habitat above the dam . information gained in advance of such a major project should help make sure it is designed and operated as effectively as possible .
in reality , blue was dressed in the fashion of an orderly which consists of scrubs with possibly white loafers and a white coat . in the brothel dream , he sports a moustache and tends to wear fancy suits both on and off stage . at the end , he ' s shown without his orderly coat and with a bandage where babydoll stabbed him , with an obvious bloodstain on his t - shirt .
blue is one of the most unbalanced people at lennox house . he feels the need to be in control of situations and people at all times — yet he is unable to control himself : he is calm and smiling one moment , then yelling and violent the next . he frightens all the girls — even dr . gorski . he is scary enough that even his co - conspirators ( including cj and danforth ) fear disobeying him .
habitat includes the largest rivers and lower parts of major tributaries . usually this sucker occurs in channels and flowing pools with moderate current ( 1 . 0 - 2 . 6 meters / sec ) . it also occurs in some impoundments . adults probably winter in deep pools . young occupy shallower and less swift water than do adults . adults move upstream to spawn on riffles . in kansas , spawning occurred in deep ( 1 - 2 meters ) riffles with cobble and bedrock substrate ( moss et al . 1983 ) .
the original meaning of sucker is , in the oed’s definition , ‘a young mammal before it is weaned ; a child at the breast’ . it’s a small step for it to take on the figurative sense of ‘a greenhorn , simpleton’ , first recorded in the united states in 1838 . from there it has come to mean someone who is gullible , and , by further extension , someone whose enthusiasm for something is so great that it will persist in the face of all obstacles . it also means , apparently , an inhabitant of the state of illinois .
a good number of years ago i got into some very nice blue suckers in the st . croix river below taylors falls . i caught a few on a white mr twister in the tailout of a swift deep hole . it is difficult to get to that spot unless the water is low . they jumped as many as five times as they were going away and were quite a load on light tackle ! the others i caught were on leeches off a shelf and they too jumped numerous times . i got some good photos before i released these rare beauties ! this is a great site for under appreciated fish !
this sucker occupies gulf slope drainages from the sabine river to the rio grande / pecos river drainage , in texas , new mexico , and mexico ; the mississippi river basin north to wisconsin and minnesota ; the missouri river drainage northwestward to the dakotas and montana ; the ohio river drainage eastward to western pennsylvania ( extirpated in pennsylvania ) ( burr and mayden 1999 ) , and the tennessee river basin to eastern tennessee and northern alabama . it is now seemingly common only in the missouri and neosho rivers and middle rio grande ( etnier and starnes 1993 , cross and collins 1995 ) , and in the mississippi river south of the missouri river in missouri ( pflieger 1997 ) . the rio grande population is to be described as a distinct species ( buth and mayden 2001 ) .
i ' ve researched and even came across other articles / blogs that have a 10 step program on how to get verified on facebook . well , i tried and it didn ' t work . one of those steps even included putting out an ad for 7 days . hmmmmm . . . . well . . . . i tried . still didn ' t work . okay , call me a sucker , but now you don ' t have to waste your money on it , because it doesn ' t work . there are all kinds of hints that say to classify yourself as public figure , but i can ' t say they are helpful as nothing has worked . so in regards to this 10 step program to get verified on facebook , i now need a 12 - step program for recovery .
catching blue suckers is not particularly problematic - if you can find them . because they can travel hundreds of miles , live in deep , fast water , and their migratory patterns are poorly understood , it is fiendishly difficult to determine when and where they will appear . for the majority of the year , they frequent fast , main - channel areas , preferably with hard bottoms - in particular , wingdam tips , rip - rap areas , and deep , fast runs . unfortunately , this means they are usually going to be found in areas where barges travel , and where it ' s almost impossible to park a boat . because of this , most anglers who pursue this fish resort to chasing after them during their spring spawning run . this is an endeavor which can be either spectacularly successful or dismally unsuccessful , depending on whether you hit the migration right .
standing in the middle of the electrofishing boat gripping a 10 foot long net handle , trying desperately not to miss blue suckers or sturgeon , i watched literally hundreds upon hundreds of fish surface , some floating still as if dead and others launching themselves out of the water like miniature silver carp . in addition to the sturgeon and blues we were after , there were shorthead , golden and silver redhorses ( and at least one river redhorse ) , quillback ( and possibly some river and / or highfin ) carpsuckers , smallmouth ( and possibly bigmouth and / or black ) buffalo surfacing all around me . there were also a few walleyes , smallmouth bass , mooneyes , and one large , beautiful paddlefish . sometimes there would be a couple dozen fish within a few feet of me—fish i would have had no idea were there in such numbers if i’d been fishing .
in mississippi river pools 4 and 8 from 1992 - 2015 , 109 of 167 blue suckers were found along main channel borders , while 83 fish exhibited a preference for sites with wing dams . the species was also reported along side - channel borders ( 36 ) , tailwater zones of dams ( 14 ) , impoundments ( 6 ) , and backwaters ( 2 ) . secchi disc readings ( transparency ) ranged from 26 - 137 cm ( 10 . 2 - 53 . 9 in . ) , depths from 0 . 2 - 19 . 0 m ( 0 . 7 - 62 ft . ) ( 154 fish at 3 . 5 m ( 11 . 5 ft . ) or less ) , and velocities from 0 . 0 - 0 . 85 m / s ( 0 . 0 - 2 . 8 ft . / s ) ( ltrmp 2016 ) .
according to zack snyder , no . rocket , amber and blondie may have been killed off in the brothel fantasy , but nobody died in reality . it ' s left completely open what did happen to them . babydoll says to sweet pea that she is the only one who could have survived outside , meaning that she was actually sane and didn ' t belong in the asylum . however the others were not sane , so babydoll had them killed off to explain why they couldn ' t escape the brothel . notably when discussing babydoll ' s situation with the lobotomy surgeon , dr gorski does not mention anything about patients being killed . likewise , the cook is still seen working in the kitchen , which he most certainly wouldn ' t be if he had actually killed rocket . this implies that the girls are all alive and well , and have a chance at getting better once blue is removed from the hospital .
a lot of people have taken wiseman and baby doll ' s
five things
list to be literal , citing as discrepancies the fact that she needed cloth and liquor to start the fire and a place to do so . the list of five things would seem to refer to items that the girls didn ' t already have . it ' s shown in several scenes that they ' re allowed alcohol in the backstage area ( the girls drinking after getting the lighter ) or else there ' s cleaning fluid in the supply closet—which is bound to be flammable . cloth is easily gotten from the beds . the items baby doll talks about weren ' t available to them : the map in the office , the mayor ' s lighter , the cook ' s knife and the key around blue ' s neck . therefore , they ' re referring only to things for which they ' ll need a diversion ( baby ' s dancing ) to steal .
in the extended cut , there is an additional scene in between babydoll helping sweet pea escape and her lobotomy . the high roller is revealed to be a nice and caring man who is offering her freedom . he does not want to have her by force , but merely wants to know her . babydoll chooses to give herself to him , and the scene then cuts to the lobotomy . this scene has multiple meanings : first of all , babydoll has spent the entire movie being sexually abused and objectified by the people around her . so this moment is with someone who does not see her as a sex toy , but as a person . she had previously only thought of her sexuality as something disgusting used to pleasure blue and his cronies , or a weapon to use against blue . this scene shows her embracing her sexuality as something beautiful and wonderful—and as a form of love . next , the scene represents that babydoll is actually getting better through dr gorski ' s therapies in the real world . for example , babydoll has been abused and objectified by the men around her . but this scene here shows that she is still able to move past her traumas . in spite of the abuse she suffered in the past , she ' s still able to have such a beautiful and passionate moment . thirdly , the scene shows that a girl ' s sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of—and babydoll takes control of her own sexuality her way , without men dictating it for her . finally , going back to gorski ' s therapies , it ' s implied that she allowed herself to be lobotomised as penance . as she accidentally killed her sister , the lobotomy is her way of making sure she pays for her crime . but through gorski ' s therapies , she comes to realise that the sister ' s death was not her fault and she can again move past her traumas . the fact that she writes herself a happy ending—falling in love with a kind man who wants to give her the best life possible—shows that she has forgiven herself for her crime . essentially the scene is a bit hint that babydoll * will * get better and possibly live a better life .


the chiricahua leopard frog ( lithobates chiricahuensis syn . rana chiricahuensis ) is a species of frog in the family ranidae , the true frogs .

it is native to mexico and arizona and new mexico in the united states .

its natural habitats are temperate forests , rivers , intermittent rivers , swamps , freshwater lakes , intermittent freshwater lakes , freshwater marshes , intermittent freshwater marshes , freshwater springs , ponds , and open excavations .

it is threatened by habitat loss and chytrid fungus to such an extent that it has been eliminated from 80 % of its former habitat .

the phoenix zoo , arizona 's department of game and fish , and the usfws are trying to mitigate threats through captive breeding and reintroduction efforts .

chiricahua leopard frog

u . s . fish and wildlife service . 2006 . chiricahua leopard frog (
chiricahua leopard frog egg masses , huachuca mtns , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
chiricahua leopard frog , santa cruz co . , az . photo by jim rorabaugh .
sonoran whipsnake eating chiricahua leopard frog , dragoon mtns , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
figure 2 . chiricahua leopard frog , huachuca mountains , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
figure 1 . chiricahua leopard frog , coconino county , az . photo by jim rorabaugh .
figure 6 . chiricahua leopard frog egg mass , huachuca mountains , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
figure 3 . chiricahua leopard frog thigh pattern , santa cruz county , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
figure 4 . late stage chiricahua leopard frog tadpole , huachuca mountains , az . photo by jim rorabaugh
chiricahua leopard frogs can darken their abdominal skin under certain conditions , a camouflaging ability .
may 2009 - wildearth guardians and the u . s . fish and wildlife service reach a settlement in the chiricahua leopard frog case
reproductive interference . male chiricahua leopard frog in amplexus with a female bullfrog . pieper hatchery spring , tonto nat forest . photo by abi king
figure 5 . distribution of the chiricahua leopard frog . the distribution south of chihuahua is not well known . the type locality for the vegas valley leopard frog is not included ( it is off the map to the northwest ) .
april 2008 - wildearth guardians files lawsuit challenging the u . s . fish and widllife service’s failure to designate critical habitat for the chiricahua leopard frog
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203 mm svl ) and lack dorsolateral folds . the chiricahua leopard frog is known to hybridize with the northern leopard frog and lowland leopard frog . in wild populations , rates of hybridization are low ( 0 - 7 % , platz and mecham 1979 ) , although green and delisle ( 1985 ) noted two of four frogs were hybrids at a site with northern and chiricahua leopard frogs in coconino county , az . frost and bagnara ( 1977 ) found no evidence for hybridization between the chiricahua and plains (
diet : the chiricahua leopard frog presumably feeds upon a wide variety of invertebrates as well as some small vertebrates ( including juveniles of their own kind ) .
variations in the expressed antimicrobial peptide repertoire of northern leopard frog ( rana pipiens ) . . .
u . s . fish and wildlife service . 2002 . endangered and threatened wildlife and plants ; listing of the chiricahua leopard frog ( rana chiricahuensis ) . federal register : 40790 - 4081 .
goldberg , c . s . , field , k . j . and sredl , m . j . 2003 . ramsey canyon leopard frog identity crisis : mitochondrial dna analyses support designation as chiricahua leopard frog . arizona game and fish department , nongame and endangered wildlife program technical report 218 , phoenix , arizona .
platz and mecham , 1979 ; chiricahua leopard frog . in : lanoo mj ( ed ) amphibian declines ; the conservation status of united states species . university of california press , berkeley , pp 546–549
u . s . fish and wildlife service . 2000 . proposal to list the chiricahua leopard frog as threatened with a special rule . federal register ( 14 june 2000 ) : 37343 - 3735 .
nighttime in the white mountains of arizona , and the sound of heavy snoring echoes down a sluggish stream . but there are no sleeping campers here ; this is the sound of an imperiled male chiricahua leopard frog , calling for a mate . despite many challenges to its survival , the chiricahua leopard frog is lucky . in a world where frogs are rapidly disappearing , this frog is one of eight listed as “threatened” or “endangered” under the endangered species act ( esa ) .
none of the other five leopard frogs in arizona , or other three leopard frogs in the 100 - mile circle , ever exhibit a salt and pepper pattern on the rear of the thigh . the chiricahua leopard frog is also the only leopard frog species in our area likely to have a dorsum that is entirely green ( although many chiricahua leopard frogs lack green in the dorsal pattern ) . the upturned eyes are also diagnostic . in all other leopard frogs in our area the eyes are positioned lower down , so the angle of view is more or less lateral to the head , rather than upturned . these characters combined with a preponderance of small , dark spots on the dorsum and relatively rough skin are usually enough to distinguish this species from other southwestern leopard frogs . the advertisement call of the chiricahua leopard frog is also diagnostic ( see activity and reproduction ) . american bullfrogs (
jennings , r . d . 1988 . ecological studies of the chiricahua leopard frog , rana chiricahuensis , in new mexico . report to share with wildlife , new mexico department of game and fish , santa fe .
usfws ( u . s . fish and wildlife service ) . 2007 . chiricahua leopard frog ( rana chiricahuensis ) recovery plan . region 2 , u . s . fish and wildlife service , albuquerque , nm .
christman , b . l . , and m . r . cummer . 2006 . stomach contents analysis of the chiricahua leopard frog ( rana chiricahuensis ) and plains leopard frog ( rana blairi ) in new mexico . final report to the new mexico department of game and fish . share with wildlife contract 05 - 516 . 0000 . 051 .
in the laboratory , crayfish ( orconectes virilis ) can kill and consume tadpole , metamorph , and adult chiricahua leopards frogs , and their presence has been linked to the disappearance of chiricahua leopard frog populations ( fernandez and rosen 1996 , 1999 ) . sredl and howland ( 1995 ) found that chiricahua leopard frogs were almost always absent from sites with american bullfrogs and non - native predatory fishes , such as bluegill and other sunfishes , largemouth bass , and carp ( including koi ) . tiger salamanders ( ambystoma mavortium ) likely prey upon chiricahua leopard frog tadpoles and juvenile frogs . chiricahua leopard frogs coexist with a number of native fishes , and in some sites persist with mosquitofish ( gambusia affinis , usfws 2007 ) . the likelihood of coexisting with predators , especially non - native species , is likely correlated with habitat complexity and the presence of escape cover . chiricahua leopard frogs typically jump into water when threatened , but do not emit an alarm call ( sredl and jennings 2005 ) .
jennings , r . d . activity and reproductive phenologies and their ecological correlates among populations of the chiricahua leopard frog , rana chiricahuensis . unpublished report for new mexico department of game and fish , santa fe , new mexico .
jennings , r . d . 1988 . ecological studies of the chiricahua leopard frog , rana chiricahuensis , in new mexico . report to share with wildlife , new mexico department of game and fish , santa fe , new mexico .
via phylogenetic placement of archival specimens highlights the utility of museum collections to provide evidence of pre - anthropogenic - disturbance conditions and better defines paths toward recovery of several imperiled leopard frogs in southwestern north america . although the chiricahua leopard frog may remain a valid taxon in southern ( goldberg et al .
a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates likely prey upon chiricahua leopard frogs and their tadpoles and eggs , including aquatic insects , fishes , snakes , birds , american bullfrogs and possibly other anurans , and a variety of mammals ( sredl and jennings 2005 ) . however , predation in the wild has rarely been reported . eric enderson has a picture on the tucson herpetological society website of a black - necked gartersnake ( thamnophis cyrtopsis ) eating a metamorph chiricahua leopard frog . rorabaugh and jones ( in press ) observed a sonoran whipsnake ( coluber bilineatus ) with an adult chiricahua leopard frog in its mouth in the dragoon mountains , az . tom deecken ( pers . comm . 2014 ) watched a mexican gartersnake ( t . eques ) feeding on young chiricahua leopard frogs in the huachuca mountains , az .
the u . s . fish and wildlife service listed the chiricahua leopard frog as a
threatened
species in 2002 . listing prompted numerous efforts to protect and restore habitat for the frog and control exotic species on both public and private land . although the species has continued to decline in new mexico , populations and occupied sites have increased in arizona since 2002 . designation of critical habitat , as required under the esa , will help ensure long - term recovery of the chiricahua leopard frog . protecting the frog and its habitat will provide for a safer , healthier environment for both frogs and people . and that’s nothing to snore at .
fernandez , p . j . and p . c . rosen . 1999 . efforts to eradicate introduced crayfish in a stream habitat of the chiricahua leopard frog in the white mountains , arizona . sonoran herpetologist 12 ( 8 ) : 87 .
boykin , k . g . , and k . c . mcdaniel . 2008 . simulated potential effects of ecological factors on a hypothetical population of chiricahua leopard frog ( rana chiricahuensis ) . ecological modelling 218 ( 2008 ) : 175 - 181 .
rorabaugh , j . 2010 . a comparison of the status of the chiricahua leopard frog ( lithobates chiricahuensis ) in arizona from 2002 to 2009 . u . s . fish and wildlife service . ecological services . tucson , arizona . january 2010 .
the chiricahua leopard frog was proposed for federal listing as a threatened species in a federal register notice published on 14 june 2000 ( 65 fr 37343 ) . the final rule was published 13 june 2002 ( 67 fr 40794 ) and included a special rule promulgated under section 4d of the esa that excluded livestock operations and maintenance at cattle tanks on non - federal lands from the esa’s section 9 take prohibitions . collection of the species is prohibited by arizona game and fish commission order 41 , except with special permits . collection is similarly prohibited in mexico where the chiricahua leopard frog is listed as a threatened species by the mexican government . chiricahua leopard frogs are not protected by state regulations in new mexico . in a 20 march 2012 federal register notice , 10 , 346 acres ( 4 , 187 hectares ) in 39 units in arizona and new mexico were designated as critical habitat for the chiricahua leopard frog ( 77 fr 16347 ) .
jennings , r . d . 1990 . activity and reproductive phenologies and their ecological correlates among populations of the chiricahua leopard frog , rana chiricahuensis . report to endangered species program / share with wildlife , new mexico department of game and fish , santa fe .
—an extinct species—to advance recovery planning for leopard frog populations in southwestern north america . phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mtdna sequence variation among century - old specimens placed
fernandez , p . j . 1996 . a facility for captive propagation of chiricahua leopard frogs ( rana chiricahuensis ) . herpetoculture , pp . 7 - 12 . international herpetological symposium .
clarkson et al . ( 1986 ) were the first to report declining populations of chiricahua and other leopard frog species in arizona . elaborating on that earlier report , clarkson and rorabaugh ( 1989 ) found chiricahua leopard frogs at only two of 36 sites in arizona that supported the species in the 1960s and 1970s . they suggested that predation by introduced american bullfrogs and fishes , as well as habitat alteration were likely contributing factors in observed leopard frog declines in arizona , but that disappearances of chiricahua leopard frogs were often in places that lacked introduced predators and significant habitat disturbance . in a status assessment of mexican and narrow - headed gartersnakes ( thamnophis eques and t . rufipunctatus , respectively ) , rosen and schwalbe ( 1988 ) noted that american bullfrogs prey upon and had replaced leopard frogs at some sites in southern arizona . they suggested that non - native predatory fish may have the same effect .
platz , j . e . 1997 . status survey of the ramsey canyon leopard frog , rana subaquavocalis . report to the arizona game and fish department , phoenix .
canyon , huachuca mountains , az that they keyed out to r . montezumae of mexico , which was among the first recognition of a frog that would later be named lithobates chiricahuensis . mecham ( 1968 ) quantified the morphological differences between the “southern form” ( = l . chiricahuensis ) and the northern leopard frog ( l . pipiens ) in the white mountains of arizona . he stated that this southern form resembled frogs from southwestern new mexico and southeastern arizona . employing electrophoresis of frog hemoglobin , platz and platz ( 1973 ) presented evidence for three species of leopard frogs in arizona , including the northern form ( = l . pipiens ) , mecham’s southern form , and the lowland form . platz and mecham ( 1979 ) subsequently described the southern form as the chiricahua leopard frog ( rana [ = lithobates ] chiricahuensis ) and platz and frost ( 1984 ) described the lowland form as the lowland leopard frog ( rana [ = lithobates ] yavapaiensis ) . the type locality for the chiricahua leopard frog is herb martyr reservoir in cave creek of the chiricahua mountains , az . frost et al . ( 2006 ) proposed the genus name lithobates for all leopard frogs and other related ranid frogs , which was subsequently adopted by the society for the study of reptiles and amphibians ( crother 2008 , 2012 ) , but remains controversial ( see pauly et al . 2009 ) .
rosen , p . c . , c . r . schwalbe , and s . s . sartorius . 1996 . decline of the chiricahua leopard frog in arizona mediated by introduced species . report to heritage program , arizona game and fish department , phoenix . iipam project no . i92052 .
fernandez , p . j . , and j . t . bagnara . 1995 . recent changes in leopard frog distribution in the white mountains of east central arizona . page 4
rorabaugh , j . , m . kreutzian , m . sredl , c . painter , r . aguilar , j . c . bravo , and c . kruse . 2008 . inching towards recovery : the case of the chiricahua leopard frog . endangered species bulletin 33 ( 1 ) : 11 - 14 .
some other ranid frogs ( e . g . northern leopard frog ) use different habitats seasonally , and move among those habitats as the seasons change . no marked seasonal use has been noted in the chiricahua leopard frog , except that when the summer rains come , the frogs often spread out along drainages into ephemeral reaches and likely use the uplands to a greater degree than during the dry foresummer . based on our anecdotal observations , juveniles may use shallow water and marshy areas more than adults , as well . during drought , when water is scarce , chiricahua leopard frogs concentrate into the last remaining pools . at dry cattle tanks , they have been found in cracks in the mud where conditions remain moist .
jennings , r . d . 1995 . investigations of recently viable leopard frog populations in new mexico : rana chiricahuensis and rana yavapaiensis . new mexico game and fish department , santa fe .
jennings , r . d . and scott , jr . 1993 . ecologically correlated morphological variation in tadpoles of the leopard frog , rana chiricahuensis . journal of herpetology : 285 - 293 .
christman , b . l . , c . g . kruse , and s . debrott . 2003 . survey and monitoring of chiricahua leopard frog ( rana chiricahuensis ) populations on the ladder ranch and adjacent gila national forest lands : sierra county , new mexico . turner endangered species fund , ladder ranch , nm .
goldberg et al . ( 1998 ) documented six species of trematodes and one species of nematode in chiricahua leopard frogs from arizona . a generalized discussion of amphibian parasites and their effects is found in usfws ( 2007 ) .
goldberg , c . s . , k . j . field , and m . j . sredl . 2004 . ramsey canyon leopard frogs’ ( rana subaquavocalis ) identity crisis : mitochondrial sequences support designation as chiricahua leopard frogs ( rana chiricahuensis ) . journal of herpetology 38 ( 3 ) : 313 - 319 .
description : this leopard frog grows to about 4 . 3 inches in length , and is a green or brown frog with dorsolateral folds and numerous , relatively small dark spots . in southeastern arizona , frogs are often green , or have green on the head . the chiricahua leopard frog is distinguished from other arizona leopard frogs by a combination of characters , including a distinctive salt and pepper pattern on the rear of the thigh of adults and some juveniles , dorsolateral folds that are interrupted and inset towards the rear ; stocky body proportions ; eyes that are relatively high and upturned on the head ; and relatively rough skin on the back and sides . compared to other leopard frogs , the tadpoles are relatively dark , mottled , and stocky . tadpoles grow to > 3 inches . distribution : the chiricahua leopard frog occurred historically in the mountains and valleys along the mogollon rim east of camp verde and the verde river , but also in southeastern arizona south of the gila river from the baboquivari mountains east to peloncillo mountains . although still fairly well distributed through this range , the species has disappeared from about 88 % of its historical localities in arizona .
christman and cummer ( 2006 ) examined stomach contents of 56 chiricahua leopard frogs from new mexico . the most common prey items were insects ( coleoptera , hemiptera , and diptera – 75 . 2 % by frequency ) . vertebrates were uncommon in the diet , and included one cyprinid fish and remnants of a frog or late stage tadpole . both terrestrial and aquatic prey were taken in similar proportions ( 44 . 6 and 37 . 3 % , respectively ) . incidental material in the stomachs included plant material , wood , and stones . the authors concluded that the chiricahua leopard frog is a prey generalist , taking what is available . however , they suggested bombardier beetles ( brachinus sp . ) are avoided . those beetles were common at frog collection sites but were not found in stomachs .
) . the declining leopard frog species ( family ranidae ) from southwestern north america present an example of how uncertain taxonomic status can impede or complicate conservation strategies ( e . g . jaeger et al .
fernandez , p . j . , and j . t . bagnara . 1993 . observations on the development of unusual melanization of leopard frog ventral skin . journal of morphology 216 : 9 - 15 .
platz , j . e . , and j . s . frost . 1984 . rana yavapaiensis , a new species of leopard frog ( rana pipiens complex ) . copeia 1984 : 940 - 948 .
platz , j . e . and mecham , j . s . 1979 . rana chiricahuensis , a new species of leopard frog ( rana pipiens complex ) from arizona . copeia : 383 - 390 .
in new mexico , randy jennings did not consider the chiricahua leopard frog in jeopardy based on surveys from 1983 - 87 ( pers . comm . in clarkson and rorabaugh 1989 ) , but in a subsequent report , he found the species at only 6 of 33 sites that had supported the species during the previous 11 years ( jennings 1995 ) .
the chiricahua leopard frog is typically green with namesake dark , leopard - like patterning and golden eyes . they are stocky animals that can grow up to 4 . 3 inches long , and are most active at night . for successful reproduction , these frogs need permanent water 15 to 35 cm deep . they lay their eggs in masses near the shore on vegetation growing close to the water’s surface . after metamorphosis , the frogs eat an array of invertebrates and small vertebrates .
frost , j . s . and bagnara , j . t . 1977 . sympatry between rana blairi and the southern form of leopard frog in southeastern arizona ( anura : ranidae ) . southwestern naturalist : 443 - 453 .
the chiricahua leopard frog is a species of high valleys and mountains , from about 1 , 034 m elevation in the altar valley , pima county , to 2 , 709 m in the white mountains , az . vegetation communities in these areas include chihuahuan desertscrub , semi - desert grassland , plains grassland , oak woodland , pinyon - juniper woodland , pine - oak woodland , and mixed conifer forest . within these communities , the chiricahua leopard frog is typically found at or near ciénegas , pools , livestock tanks , mine adits , wells , lakes , reservoirs , streams , and rivers with permanent or nearly permanent surface water . this species is rare or absent in high gradient , shallow flowing water , and more likely to be found in deep , still pools .
platz , j . e . 1993 . rana subaquavocalis , a remarkable new species of leopard frog ( rana pipiens complex ) from southeastern arizona that calls under water . journal of herpetology 27 ( 2 ) : 154 - 162 .
platz , j . e . , and j . s . mecham . 1979 . rana chiricahuensis , a new species of leopard frog ( rana pipiens complex ) from arizona . copeia 1979 ( 3 ) : 383 - 390 .
rand , a . s . 1950 . leopard frogs in caves in winter . copeia 1950 : 324 .
field , k . j . , t . l . beatty sr . , and t . l . beatty jr . 2003 . rana subaquavocalis ( ramsey canyon leopard frog ) ; diet . herpetological review 34 ( 3 ) : 235 .
remarks : the range of the chiricahua leopard frog in arizona is split into southeastern and east - central ( mogollon rim ) disjunct populations that may be different species or subspecies . in addition , some authors consider frogs from the eastern slope of the huachuca mountains to be a separate species ( ramsey canyon leopard frog , rana subaquavocalis – see platz 1993 , but also goldberg et al . 2004 ) . the chiricahua leopard frog ( not including the “ramsey canyon leopard frog” ) is listed as a threatened species under the endangered species act . causes of decline include chytridiomycosis ( a fungal disease ) , predation by non - native species , habitat loss and degradation , and other factors . a recovery team has prepared a draft recovery plan . by jim rorabaugh federally protected rana chiricahuensis is listed as threatened under the endangered species act . it is against federal law to harass , harm , pursue , hunt , shoot , wound , kill , trap , capture , or collect this animal or to attempt to engage in any such conduct . more information on federal listing here : urltoken protected in az it is against arizona state law to harass , harm , pursue , hunt , shoot , wound , kill , trap , capture , or collect this animal or to attempt to engage in any such conduct .
jennings , r . d . 1995 . investigations of recently viable leopard frog populations in new mexico : rana chiricahuensis and rana yavapaiensis . report submitted to new mexico department of game and fish , endangered species program , santa fe , new mexico .
the chiricahua leopard frog historically occurred in cienegas , lakes , ponds and riparian zones at elevations between 3 , 281 to 8 , 890 feet in central and southeastern arizona , west - central and southwestern new mexico , and the sky islands and sierra madre occidental of northeastern sonora and western chihuahua , mexico . but it has now vanished from over 80 percent of its former habitat in arizona . although less is known about the new mexico population , the frog appears to have disappeared from over 80 percent of its habitat in that state , as well .
fernandez , p . j . , and j . t . bagnara . 1991 . effect of background color and low temperature on skin color and circulating ά - msh in two species of leopard frog . general and comparative endocrinology 83 : 132 - 141 .
frost , j . s . , and j . t . bagnara . 1977 . sympatry between rana blairi and the southern form of leopard frog in southeastern arizona ( anura : ranidae ) . the southwestern naturalist 22 ( 4 ) : 443 - 453 .
platz , j . e . , a . lathrop , l . hofbauer , and m . vradenburg . 1997 . age distribution and longevity in the ramsey canyon leopard frog , rana subaquavocalis . journal of herpetology 31 ( 4 ) : 552 - 557 .
jennings , r . d . 2005 . rana fisheri stejneger , 1893 , vegas valley leopard frog . pages 554 - 555 in m . lannoo ( ed ) , amphibian declines , the conservation status of united states species . university of california press , berkeley .
though they rarely exceed five inches in length , male chiricahua leopard frogs are scrappy for their size – they’ll engage in frog - fisticuffs with other males to secure the best territories during the mating season . females are otherwise occupied : they lay as many as 6 , 000 eggs during each mating season of their 18 - year lifespan . chiricahua leopard frogs need permanent water for reproduction , but that’s increasingly hard to come by ; the riparian areas they live in are often destroyed by livestock grazing , groundwater pumping , water diversion , and dams . the center for biological diversity fought for protection for this species , and in 2002 it was officially listed under the endangered species act – but without protected habitat , these frogs are still at risk .
: evidence for phylogenetically distinct leopard frogs from the border region of nevada , utah , and arizona . copeia 2001 : 339–354
goldberg , s . r . , c . r . bursey , and h . cheam . 1998 . helminths in two native frog species ( rana chiricahuensis , rana yavapaiensis ) and one introduced frog species ( rana catesbeianus ) ( ranidae ) from arizona . journal of parasitology 84 : 175 - 177 .
suggestions that the extinct vegas valley leopard frog ( rana fisheri = lithobates fisheri ) may have been synonymous with one of several declining species have complicated recovery planning for imperiled leopard frogs in southwestern united states . to address this concern , we reconstructed the phylogenetic position of r . fisheri from mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data obtained from century - old museum specimens . analyses incorporating representative north american rana species placed archival specimens within the clade comprising federally threatened chiricahua leopard frogs ( rana chiricahuensis = lithobates chiricahuensis ) . further analysis of chiricahua leopard frogs recovered two diagnosable lineages . one lineage is composed of r . fisheri specimens and r . chiricahuensis near the mogollon rim in central arizona , while the other encompasses r . chiricahuensis populations to the south and east . these findings ascribe r . chiricahuensis populations from the northwestern most portion of its range to a resurrected r . fisheri , demonstrating how phylogenetic placement of archival specimens can inform recovery and conservation plans , especially those that call for translocation , re - introduction , or population augmentation of imperiled species .
streicher , j . w . , c . m . sheehy iii , o . flores - villela , and j . a . campbell . 2012 morphological variation in a polychromatic population of chiricahua leopard frogs ( lithobates chiricahuensis ) from durango , mexico . journal of herpetology 46 ( 3 ) : 387 - 392 .
davidson , c . 1996 . frog and toad calls of the rocky mountains . library of natural sounds , cornell laboratory of ornithology , ithaca , ny .
sredl , m . j . , and r . d . jennings . 2005 . rana chiricahuensis : platz and mecham , 1979 , chiricahua leopard frogs . pages 546 - 549 in m . j . lannoo ( ed ) , amphibian declines : the conservation status of united states species . university of california press , berkeley .
to the south , populations occur or occurred from the baboquivari mountains in pima county , az eastward to the animas mountains and playas valley , hidalgo county , nm and south well into mexico . the northern - most records south of the gila river in arizona are two specimens from the base of the pinaleño mountains , graham county . the species is also known from the nearby galiuro mountains . in mexico , the chiricahua leopard frog occurs or occurred in eastern sonora , western chihuahua , and adjacent durango , mexico ( rorabaugh 2008 , lemos - espinal and smith 2007 , streicher et al . 2012 ) . the southern distributional limit is unclear . diaz and diaz ( 1997 ) reported the species from aguascalientes ; however , chiricahuensis - like frogs of mexico , including lithobates montezumae and l . lemosespinali could be confused with the chiricahua leopard frog , and the relationships of these similar frogs to each other and l . chiricahuensis need further work , particularly in regard to l . lemosespinali .
lemos - espinal et al . ( 2013 ) noted some differences in chiricahua leopard frogs from southwestern chihuahua as compared to those in sonora and the united states . the maximum svl is 58 mm , and they are dark gray - brown and have fewer spots on the dorsum . the authors suggest these differences may reflect taxonomic distinctiveness .
mecham , j . s . 1968 . evidence of reproductive isolation between two populations of the frog , rana pipiens , in arizona . southwestern naturalist : 35 - 44 .
field et al . ( 2003 ) noted a rufous or allen’s hummingbird taken by a chiricahua leopard frog in miller canyon of the huachuca mountains , az . captives readily take crickets , mealworm larvae and adults , silkworm larvae , other invertebrates , and small fish ( demlong 1997 , usfws 2007 ) . cannibalism of larger frogs on smaller frogs occurs in captive colonies and likely occurs in the wild ( jennings 1988 ) . the tadpoles are probably mostly herbivorous . marti and fisher ( 1998 ) listed the following likely tadpole food items in ramsey canyon , huachuca mountains : bacteria , diatoms , phytoplankton , filamentous algae , water milfoil , duckweed , and detritus . we have observed wild chiricahua leopard frog tadpoles feeding upon floating algal mats . large tadpoles have been observed consuming the gelatinous envelopes of conspecific egg masses ( platz 1997 ) . in captivity , tadpoles have been fed rabbit pellets suspended in agar - gelatin blocks , boiled spinach , romaine lettuce , cucumber slices , frozen trout , duckweed , and spirulina fish food ( frost 1982 , demlong 1997 ) .
sredl , m . j . and jennings , r . d . 2005 . rana chiricahuensis ( platz and mecham , 1979 ) chiricahua leopard frogs . in : lannoo , m . j . ( ed . ) , status and conservation of u . s . amphibians . volume 2 : species accounts , university of california press , berkeley , california .
the zoo’s head - start program , dedicated to raising native frogs for release to supplement wild populations , is housed in the arthur l . and elaine v . johnson foundation conservation center . at the johnson center , you have the ability to see the leopard frog colonies and our staff as they work with them .
mecham , j . s . 1968 . evidence of reproductive isolation between two populations of the frog , rana pipiens , in arizona . southwestern naturalist 13 : 35 - 44 .
sredl , m . j . , and j . m . howland . 1995 . conservation and management of madrean populations of the chiricahua leopard frog . pages 379 - 385 in l . f . debano , g . j . gottfried , r . h . hamre , c . b . edminster , and p . f . ffolliott ( tech . eds . ) , biodiversity and management of the madrean archipelago : the sky islands of the southwestern united states and northwestern mexico . usda forest service , general technical report rm - gtr - 264 .
brennan , t . c . , & a . t . holycross . 2006 . a field guide to amphibians and reptiles in arizona . arizona game and fish department . phoenix , az . goldberg , c . s . , k . j . field , and m . j . sredl . 2004 . mitochondrial dna sequences do not support species status of the ramsey canyon leopard frog ( rana subaquavocalis ) . journal of herpetology 38 ( 3 ) : 313 - 319 . platz , j . e . 1993 . rana subaquavocalis , a remarkable new species of leopard frog ( rana pipiens complex ) from southeastern arizona that calls under water . journal of herpetology 27 ( 2 ) : 154 - 162 . sredl , m . j . , and r . d . jennings . 2005 . rana chiricahuensis platz and mecham , 1979 , chiricahua leopard frog . pages 546 - 549 i n m . j . lannoo ( ed ) , amphibian declines : the conservation status of united states species . university of california press , berkeley . sredl , m . j . , j . m . howland , j . e . wallace , and l . s . saylor . 1997 . status and distribution of arizona ' s native ranid frogs . pages 45 - 101 in m . j . sredl ( ed ) . ranid frog conservation and management . arizona game and fish department , nongame and endangered wildlife program , technical report 121 .
the center ' s public lands program will watchdog activities that could degrade this frog ' s habitat in our last desert rivers — including arizona ' s san pedro river and fossil creek .
it might be surprising to many that in a state known for its arid environments that among the animals comprising arizona’s rich biodiversity are 25 species of native amphibians , including 24 frog species ( i . e . , both frogs and toads ) and only one species of salamander ( the tiger salamander ) . indeed , several of these amphibians are only found in some of the most arid parts of the deserts that make up much of arizona . what might not be surprising is that the aquatic habitats that support many of arizona’s amphibians have been diverted or destroyed because of the high demand for water in the state . many of our amphibians have suffered serious population declines and some , such as the chiricahua leopard frog and sonoran tiger salamander , are protected under the endangered species act .
specimens , we needed to provide a comparative sequence library for representative southwestern and western ranid frog species . we used a combination of genbank accessioned sequences ( dataset i ( gi55418335–gi55418396 ) from hillis and wilcox
the chiricahua leopard frog recovery plan ( usfws 2007 ) is the primary document guiding conservation activities for this species . it includes recommended recovery actions to reduce or eliminate threats , an implementation schedule for those actions , measurable criteria to gauge recovery success , and much other information needed to conserve the species . recovery criteria need to be met in each of eight recovery units . the primary recovery actions include 1 ) protecting remaining populations , 2 ) identifying , restoring or creating , and protecting unoccupied sites as necessary to support viable chiricahua leopard frog populations and metapopulations , 3 ) establishing new or reestablishing former populations , 4 ) augmenting populations as needed to increase persistence , 5 ) monitoring populations and recovery , 6 ) conducting research that promotes recovery , 7 ) developing support for the recovery program , 8 ) developing cooperative projects with non - federal landowners , 9 ) amending land use plans as needed , 10 ) working with tribal partners , 11 ) working with mexican partners , and 12 ) practicing adaptive management . the recovery program is guided by a recovery team , three regional steering committees , and numerous local recovery groups , most of which meet on a regular basis . the recovery plan and other documents pertaining to the species can be downloaded from the following site :
from century - old archival museum specimens to address alternative taxonomic hypotheses , and in so doing , to advance the recovery planning of imperiled leopard frogs across southwestern north america .
cunjak , r . a . 1986 . winter habitat of northern leopard frogs , rana pipiens , in a southern ontario stream . canadian journal of zoology 64 : 255‑257 .
hale , s . f . 1992 . a survey of the historic and potential habitat for the tarahumara frog , ( rana tarahumarae ) in arizona . report to the arizona game and fish department , phoenix .
most of the southwestern streams the chiricahua leopard frog calls home have shrunken or disappeared . groundwater pumping , damming , and water diversion have dried up streams and interrupted pool creation . cattle destroy vegetation , trample banks , and pollute water with silt and droppings . some leopard frogs , particularly males , will travel long distances ( more than two miles ) along connected riparian habitat in search of food or mates , highlighting the importance of habitat corridors for this species . but now their routes are dry or home to dangerous introduced predators and competitors such as bullfrogs , game fish , and crayfish , leaving the frogs stranded in isolated pockets . weakened by stresses like pollution , pesticides , and increased uv radiation , the species is being devastated by chytrid fungus , which is killing frogs worldwide and is linked to global warming .
the northern leopard frog ( rana pipiens or lithobates pipiens ) is historically found in most of the provinces of canada and the northern and southwest states of the united states . in the last 50 years , populations have suffered significant losses , especially in the western regions of the species range . using a peptidomics approach , we show that the pattern of expressed antimicrobial skin . . . [ show full abstract ]
the relationships of anurans commonly called “leopard frogs” or “meadow frogs” have baffled herpetologists for over 100 years ( moore 1975 , hillis 1988 ) . from the mid - 1920s through the early - 1960s , most authorities listed only one to three species of leopard frog in the southwestern united states ( moore 1944 , wright and wright 1949 , stebbins 1951 ) , including the broad - ranging rana pipiens , as well as r . fisheri and r . onca of southwestern nevada and adjacent portions of utah and arizona ( although some considered the latter two to be subspecies of pipiens , or to be synonyms – see pace 1974 ) . wright and wright ( 1949 ) recognized considerable variation within r . pipiens in north america , even singling out questionable frogs in a section of their book called “arizona puzzles . ” in addition , they were among the first authorities to refer to the leopard frogs as the r . pipiens complex . interestingly , they noted large leopard frogs from carr
zweifel , r . g . 1995 . rana revisited : some r . chiricahuensis sites in the chiricahua mountains then and now . page 12 in program and abstracts of the first annual meeting of the southwestern working group of the declining amphibian populations task force , phoenix , az .
hekkala , e . r . , r . a . saumure , j . r . jaeger , h . - w . heermann , m . j . sredl , d . f . bradford , d . drabek , and m . j . blum . 2011 . resurrecting an extinct species : archival dna , taxonomy , and conservation of the vegas valley leopard frog . conservation genetics 12 : 1379 - 1385 .
emery , a . r . , a . h . berst ; k . kodaira . 1972 . under - ice observations of wintering sites of leopard frogs . copeia 1972 : 123 - 126 .
pace , a . e . 1974 . systematic and biological studies of the leopard frogs ( rana pipiens complex ) of the united states . miscellaneous publications , museum of zoology , university of michigan 148 .
it occurs in coconino , tonto , apache , sitgreaves , gila , and coronado national forests ( jennings 1995 ; sredl et al . 1997 ) . both the northern and southern populations of r . chiricahuensis are listed as threatened under the endangered species act in 2002 , and a recovery team was established in 2003 . conservation actions will include both short - term interim actions to prevent further deterioration of the species’ status , and longer - term planning for eventual recovery of the species . arizona game and fish commission order 41 prohibit the collection of this species from the wild in arizona . it is included as wildlife of special concern in arizona ( arizona game and fish department 1996 ) . priority research topics include identification of the importance of disease , pesticides and other contaminants , climate change , uv radiation , fire management , and possibly other threats to the status and recovery potential of the chiricahua leopard frog . also , research is needed on key aspects of the frog’s status , distribution , and ecology .
clarkson , w . r . and rorabaugh , j . c . 1989 . status of leopard frogs ( rana pipiens complex : ranidae ) in arizona and southeastern california . southwestern naturalist : 531 - 538 .
frost , j . s . and platz , j . e . 1983 . comparative assessment of modes of reproductive isolation among four species of leopard frogs ( rana pipiens complex ) . evolution : 66 - 78 .
scott jr , n . j . and jennings , r . d . 1985 . the tadpoles of five species of new mexican leopard frogs . occasional papers for the museum of southwestern biology : 1 - 21 .
scott , n . j . , and r . d . jennings . 1985 . the tadpoles of five species of new mexican leopard frogs . occasional papers for the museum of southwestern biology 3 : 1 - 21 .
clarkson , r . w . , and j . c . rorabaugh . 1989 . status of leopard frogs ( rana pipiens complex ) in arizona and southeastern california . southwestern naturalist 34 ( 4 ) : 531 - 538 .
frost , j . s . , and j . e . platz . 1983 . comparative assessment of modes of reproductive isolation among four species of leopard frogs ( rana pipiens complex ) . evolution 37 : 66 - 78 .
jennings , r . d . , and n . j . scott . 1991 . global amphibian population declines : insights from leopard frogs in new mexico . report to the new mexico department of game and fish , albuquerque .
skeletochronology of frogs from the east side of the huachuca mountains , cochise county , az revealed that 47 percent of sampled adults were age six or older . the oldest frogs were estimated at 10 years post - metamorphosis ( platz et al . 1997 ) . however , this area may be anomalous , as durkin ( 1995 ) found no evidence of chiricahua leopard frogs living longer than six years . platz et al . ’s work in the huachuca mountains was before the onset of periodic disease - related die offs . longevity at that site is probably much less now .
as part of the association of zoos and aquariums , and in cooperation with arizona game and fish department ( agfd ) and the u . s . fish and wildlife service , the phoenix zoo has been involved in local , regional and international efforts to save and protect numerous wildlife species , including the amphibian population . because of high mortality rates in the wild of chiricahua leopard frog eggs , and small tadpoles , captive head - starting provides a greater chance of survival for late - stage tadpoles or small frogs . in the wild , approximately five percent or less of the eggs in a mass survives to metamorphosis . in captivity , more than 90 percent of an egg mass survives to be released as froglets or late - stage tadpoles . by releasing a large number of animals back into a site , chances are greatly increased that more will survive to adulthood and reproduce , as well as preserving valuable genes .
80 mm total length prior to metamorphosis . small tadpoles are a dark velvety olive dorsally and on the sides , and white to pale gray with bronze patches ventrally . large tadpoles are generally dark gray or olive dorsally with pale venters and heavy mottling on the tail fin ( scott and jennings 1985 , fig . 4 ) . mouth parts are illustrated in scott and jennings ( 1985 ) . lateral lines of southwestern us leopard frog tadpoles may be diagnostic ( fritts et al . 1984 ) , but these differences need to be more fully explored .
this species is known from arizona and new mexico in the united states , and from mexico ( platz and mecham 1979 ) . the range of this species is divided into two areas . the first includes northern montane populations along the southern edge of the colorado plateau ( = mogollon rim ) in central and eastern arizona and west - central new mexico . the second includes southern populations located in the mountains and valleys south of the gila river in south - eastern arizona and south - western new mexico , and extends into mexico along the eastern slopes of the sierra madre occidental ( platz and mecham 1979 ) . populations in the northern portion of the range might soon be described as a new species ( platz pers . comm . ) . elevations of chiricahua leopard frog localities range from 1 , 000 - 2 , 710m asl ( platz and mecham 1979 ; sredl et al . 1997 ; smith and chiszar 2003 ) .
platz , j . e . , and t . grudzien . 1999 . the taxonomic status of leopard frogs from the mogollon rim country of central arizona : evidence for recognition of a new species . proceedings of nebraska academy of sciences 109 : 51 .
behavior : can be found active day or night , although they are easier to find and observe at night with a headlamp or flashlight . this is probably the most aquatic of the native leopard frogs , but can move overland and along drainages during summer monsoons .
fritts , t . h . , r . d . jennings , and n . j . scott , jr . 1984 . a review of the leopard frogs of new mexico . report to the new mexico department of game and fish , santa fe , nm .
olah - hemmings v , jaeger jr , sredl mj , schlaepfer ma , jennings rd , drost ca , bradford df , riddle br ( 2010 ) phylogeography of declining relict and lowland leopard frogs in the desert southwest of north america . j zool 280 : 343–354 . doi :
activity depends primarily on water temperature . as water temperature drops to 12 - 13 0 c or below , frogs are rarely seen . at water temperatures of 14 0 c and above usually some frogs are found active . active frogs have been found year - round in warm springs in new mexico , but where water temperature varies with ambient air temperature , frogs are most active from april through september . chiricahua leopard frogs are easiest to approach and identify at night with a flashlight or headlamp , but they are active day and night . juveniles are perhaps more active by day , and adults more active at night ( jennings 1988 ) . winter retreats have not been identified ; however , northern leopard frogs are known to overwinter at the bottom of well - oxygenated ponds or lakes , they may dig shallow depressions or bury themselves in mud , and they have been found during the winter in caves ( rand 1950 , emery et al . 1972 , nussbaum et al . 1983 , cunjak 1986 , harding 1997 ) .
many of arizona’s native frogs , particularly the five species of leopard frogs and the tarahumara frog , might be considered “typical” stream - dwelling frogs ; never being found too far from permanent water where they lay eggs , develop as tadpoles , and live as adult frogs . but , some of the most astonishing adaptations to desert life are exhibited by a number of frogs and toads that live much of their lives buried underground , only to emerge briefly to breed and grow during the summer rains . this group includes “typical” toads like the sonoran green toad , couch’s spadefoot , the tiny narrow - mouthed toad , and even a “true” treefrog , the lowland burrowing treefrog . perhaps one of the most unusual frogs in arizona is the barking frog , which is found in rocky outcrops where it lays its eggs in relatively dry crevices , and the young develop entirely within the egg and skip the tadpole stage . thus , despite the relatively few species overall , arizona can claim to have a richly diverse amphibian fauna .
in addition to the 25 species of native amphibians , arizona has become home to four types of exotic amphibians : bullfrogs , rio grande leopard frogs , african clawed frogs and barred tiger salamanders . bullfrogs have become so numerous and widespread that they are now seriously threatening native aquatic wildlife populations , particularly amphibians and reptiles .
sredl , m . j . , howland , j . m . , wallace , j . e . and saylor , l . s . 1997 . status and distribution of arizona’s native ranid frogs . in : sredl , m . j ( ed . ) , ranid frog conservation and management , pp . 37 - 89 . arizona game and fish department , phoenix , arizona .
sredl , m . j . , j . m . howland , j . e . wallace , and l . s . saylor . 1997 . status and distribution of arizona’s native ranid frogs . pages 45 - 101 in m . j . sredl ( ed ) . ranid frog conservation and management . arizona game and fish department , nongame and endangered wildlife program , technical report 121 .
peptidomic analysis of an extract of the skins of specimens of dybowski ' s brown frog rana dybowskii gunther , 1876 , collected on tsushima island , japan led to the identification of 10 peptides with differential antibacterial and hemolytic activities . the primary structures of these peptides identified them as belonging to the brevinin - 1 ( 5 peptides ) and brevinin - 2 ( 5 peptides ) families of . . . [ show full abstract ]
rosen , p . c . , schwalbe , c . r . , parizek , d . a . j . , holm , p . a . and lowe , c . h . 1995 . introduced aquatic vertebrates in the chiricahua region : effects on declining ranid frogs . in : debano , l . f . , gottfried , g . j . , hamre , r . h . and edmi , c . b . ( eds ) , biodiversity and management of the madrean archipelago : the sky islands of southwestern united states and northwestern mexico , rocky mountain forest and range experimental station , fort collins , colorado .
balancing selection is common on many defense genes , but it has rarely been reported for immune effector proteins such as antimicrobial peptides ( amps ) . we describe genetic diversity at a brevinin - 1 amp locus in three species of leopard frogs ( rana pipiens , rana blairi , and rana palustris ) . several highly divergent allelic lineages are segregating at this locus . that this unusual pattern . . . [ show full abstract ]
similarly barred or have dark spots . dorsal spots and crossbars often fade with age and are absent in some very large frogs . the rear of the thigh in adults from southern populations typically is a salt and pepper pattern consisting of a very dark background overlain with numerous white - tipped pustules that are most prominent near the urostyle ( fig . 3 ) . juveniles may exhibit a dark reticulation on the rear of the thigh or have the salt and pepper pattern . the salt and pepper pattern is also present in many northern frogs , but some juveniles and adults exhibit a dark and light reticulate pattern . there is no discernible light upper lip stripe anterior to the eyes , although that area may be a green that is somewhat lighter in color than surrounding pigment . the venter is cream to yellowish cream , often with grayish mottling on the chin and throat ( platz and mecham 1979 , degenhardt et al . 1996 , dodd 2013 , pers . obs . ) . individual chiricahua leopard frogs can darken their skin color in response to low water temperature and reduced reflectance off the water’s surface ( fernandez and bagnara 1991 , 1993 ) .