New County Records and Other Data Since 1996

Pseudacris triseriata (Wied) -Upland Chorus Frog

Since publication of Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee (Redmond, W. H. and A. F. Scott. 1996. The Center for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN. 94 pp.), several taxonomic and nomenclatural changes and reports of new county records have appeared in the literature pertaining to P. triseriata.  Following is a summary of these changes along with an updated distribution map and bibliographical information for new county records:

 New Taxonomic and Distribution Data for Tennessee's Trilling Pseudacris

What were generally considered subspecies of Pseudacris triseriata (Upland Chorus Frog) in 1996, have been elevated to full species based on the work and recommendations of  Ralin (1970), Hedges (1986), Platz and Forester (1988) and Platz (1989).  This resulted in Tennessee populations of this complex, which were formerly referred to as P. triseriata feriarum, assuming the binomial Pseudacris feriarum without a change in the common name.  More recently, Lemmon et al. (2007), in a study delimiting species boundaries and contact zones in the trilling chorus frogs, added Pseudacris triseriata (Western Chorus Frog) to Tennessee's anuran fauna based on a single specimen (University of Texas, Austin, TNHC 63687) taken in Montgomery County.  Previously, P. brachyphona (Mountain Chorus Frog) and P. feriarum (Upland Chorus Frog) were the only two species of trilling Pseudacris known in the state.

Literature Cited:

Hedges, S. B. 1986. An electrophoretic analysis of Holarctic hylid frog evolution. Systematic Zoology 35:1-21.

Lemmon, E. M., A. R. Lemmon, J. T. Collins, J. A. Lee-Yaw, and D. C. Cannatella.  2007. Phylogeny-based delimitation of species boundaries and contact zones in the trilling chorus frogs (Pseudacris). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44:1068-1082.

Platz, J. E. 1989. Speciation within the chorus frog Pseudacris triseriata: morphometric and mating call analyses of the boreal and western subspecies. Copeia 1989:704-712.

Platz, J. E. and D. C. Forester. 1988. Geographic variation in mating call among the four subspecies of the chorus frog: Pseudacris triseriata (Wied). Copeia 1988 (4):1062-1066.

Ralin, D. B. 1968. Genetic compatibility and a phylogeny of the temperate North American hylid fauna. Ph.D. diss., University of Texas, Austin. 117 pp. <

Updated Distribution Map
(Click on the Map for an Enlarged View)

Montgomery County

Lemmon, E. M., A. R. Lemmon, J. T. Collins, J. A. Lee-Yaw, and D. C. Cannatella.  2007. Phylogeny-based delimitation of species boundaries and contact zones in the trilling chorus frogs (Pseudacris). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44:1068-1082.

Hoverman, J. T., M. J. Gray, D. L. Miller and N. A. Haislip. 2012. Widespread occurrence of ranavirus in pond-breeding amphibian populations. EcoHealth 9:36-48.

Messer, M., L. Bennie, and B. P. Butterfield.  2008.  Geographic distribution. Pseudacris triseriata.  Herpetol. Rev. 39:235. 

           Miller, J. L.  2004.  Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum. Herpetol. Rev. 35:406.

Hunter, C.  2006.  Geographic distribution.  Pseudacris feriarum feriarum  Herpetol. Rev. 37:238.

Tolley, A.  2010.  Geographic distribution.  Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 41:508.

Campbell, T. S. 2002. New records for amphibians in the Big South Fork region of Tennessee. Herpetol. Rev. 33:230-231.

Hall, J. M.  2008.  Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 39:107.

Niemiller, M. L. and R. G. Reynolds.  2011. Upland Chorus Frog. Pp. 286-288 In M. L. Niemiller and R. G. Reynolds (eds.), The amphibians of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville. 369 pp.

Barton, L. J., E. A. Hughes, T. R. Hughes, K. A. Robertson, and D. T. Hamlett. 2016. Geographic distribution: Pseudacris feriarum. Herpetol. Rev. 47:250-251.

Foster, N. and D. Foster. 2015. Geographic distribution: Hyla gratiosa. Herpetol. Rev. 46:213.

Scott, A. F., S. Sutton, and S. Williamson. 2000. New county records of amphibians and turtles from the Western Highland Rim of central Tennessee. Herpetol. Rev. 31:117-118.

Faust, T. M.  2008.  Geographic distribution.  Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 39:363.

Davenport, J. M., J. R. Ennen, and A. F. Scott. 2005. New records for amphibians from counties in south-central Tennessee.  Herpetol. Rev. 36:209-210.

Anderson, M.  A. and D. B. Estabrooks.  2011.  Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 42:108.

Stewart, Brian.  2010.  Geographic distribution.  Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 41:104.

Nelson, S. K.  2011.  Geographic distribution: Pseudacris feriarum. Herpetol. Rev. 42:386.

English, R., and A. English. 2000. Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum.  Herpetol. Rev. 31:251.