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A stately gopher #Frog (Lithobates capito) that was the surprise guest of my fieldwork yesterday. I didn't expect to dipnet a whole adult frog! A small thread 1/6
Gopher frogs are rare throughout much of their range in AL, NC, SC, GA, but we have stable populations in FL. 2/6
They are associated w/ longleaf pine systems along the coastal plain, and rely on fishless, fire dependent ponds for breeding. There is currently <5% of original longleaf pine habitat remaining 3/6
They breed mainly in winter and spring, and #tadpoles are hard to distinguish from leopard frogs. Tads are susceptible to pathogens like #Ranavirus and perkinsus (see photo) making conservation challenging 4/6
Most finish metamorphic in summer, and they are cute and very round 
These little ones from last June probably all emerged at the same time for a post-metamorphosis meeting 5/6
These little ones from last June probably all emerged at the same time for a post-metamorphosis meeting 5/6
They live in burrows of gopher #tortoises, but in areas w/o tortoises they will live in mammal burrows or in root tunnels. They emerge at night to snack on inverts and sometimes other frogs
If you see them regularly, count yourself lucky!
: @al_lopeztorres 6/6
If you see them regularly, count yourself lucky!
: @al_lopeztorres 6/6
