Table of Contents
Overview
Comprehensive Description
Description
The larva reaches a total length of 100 mm. It has an olive brown or greenish dorsum with small dark spots, a straw yellow, opaque belly, mottling on the sides, and a tail which is paler than the dorsum and marked with irregular dark blotches.
- Hedeen, S. E. (1963). ''Rana septentrionalis (Baird). Mink Frog.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 202.1-202.2.
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Distribution
Range Description
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Geographic Range
The Mink frog is found in Minnesota, Wisconsin, northern Michigan, and in northern New York. They are also found in Canada ranging from Quebec to the southeastern portions of Manitoba (Mossman et al 1999).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
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National Distribution
Canada
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
United States
Origin: Native
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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Global Range: (200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)) Range extends from Labrador to southern Manitoba, and south to northern New England and northern Wisconsin (Conant and Collins 1991).
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Distribution and Habitat
- Hedeen, S. E. (1963). ''Rana septentrionalis (Baird). Mink Frog.'' Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 202.1-202.2.
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Physical Description
Morphology
Physical Description
Adult length: 4.8 to 7.6 cm
Their backs are green, olive, or brown with irregular blotches. The dorsolateral folds are poorly developed or sometimes even absent in this species. Webbing extends to its fifth digit on its hind feet. Their undersides are whitish or yellowish. They have round spots or stripes on the upper parts of their hind legs. There is some sexual dimorphism. Male Mink frogs have larger tympanums than females. Males also often have a bright yellow throat compared to the white or pale yellow throat of the female. The tadpoles prior to metamorphosis have a dorsal coloration that is green, olive, or brown with scattered spots. Tadpoles also have a yellowish underside with a long pointy tail (Harding 1997).
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Size
Type Information
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Amphibians & Reptiles
Preparation: Ethanol
Year Collected: 1850
Locality: Sackets Harbor, Garrison Creek, Jefferson, New York, United States, North America
- Syntype: Baird, S. F. 1854. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. 7 (2): 61.
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Ecology
Habitat
Habitat and Ecology
Systems
- Terrestrial
- Freshwater
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Habitat
They enjoy permanent wetlands since they are primarily aquatic creatures, but they will move on the land if the conditions are damp and covered in heavy forest (Reptiles & Amphibians of Minnesota 1999).
Aquatic Biomes: lakes and ponds; rivers and streams
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Comments: Mink frogs inhabit cold lakes and ponds and their shallow peripheral pools, and inlets and outlets of ponds and lakes, often among emergent or floating vegetation (e.g., lily pads) in open water or along shores. They are highly aquatic but sometimes venture away from water onto land during very wet weather. Hibernation sites are underwater. Eggs and larvae develop in permanent lakes and ponds. Eggs are attached to submerged vegetation but may later sink to the bottom.
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Migration
Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).
Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.
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Trophic Strategy
Food Habits
Mink frogs have a largely aquatic diet. They feed mainly on spiders, snails, dragonflies, whirligig, and beetles, all of which can be found on the surface of the water or on lily pads. Mink frog tadpoles feed mainly on algae (Harding 1997).
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Comments: Metamorphosed frogs eat various small invertebrates obtained mostly among aquatic plants in open water. Larvae probably eat algae, plant tissue, and organic debris.
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Population Biology
Global Abundance
100,000 - 1,000,000 individuals
Comments: Total adult population size is unknown but likely more than 100,000. Abundant in suitable habitat in northern Wisconsin (Vogt 1981).
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General Ecology
The strong odor of mink frogs may serve as an anti-predator mechanism, but these frogs are nevertheless eaten by great blue herons, raccoon, and other animals.
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Life History and Behavior
Cyclicity
Life Expectancy
Lifespan/Longevity
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 6 (high) years.
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Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Reproduction
Reproduction
Mink frogs do not begin to breed until late May and usually end in August. Males vocalize while floating on the water (Reptiles & Amphibians of Minnesota 1999). In the Great Lakes area the eggs are deposited in June and July. An average female will lay between 500 and 4,000 eggs in one cluster. The cluster may be laid up to a meter under the water and will eventually sink to the bottom before hatching. The tadpoles are in the larvae stage for about a year before metamorphosing into froglets. It takes the female about two years to become sexually mature whereas it takes the males only about a year to become mature (Harding 1997).
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 547 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 730 days.
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Breeding occurs in late spring and summer, mainly late May to early August (peak often June-July). Adult females deposit clutches of a few thousand eggs, June to August. The aquatic larval stage lasts 1-2 years. Individuals become sexually mature 1-2 years after metamorphosis.
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Evolution and Systematics
Functional Adaptations
Functional adaptation
Skin secretions of some frogs may help protect them from drug-resistant microbes via novel antimicrobial peptides.
"Skin secretions from many species of anurans (frogs and toads) are a rich source of peptides with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities that may be developed into agents with therapeutic potential, particularly for topical applications." (Conlon & Sonnevend 2010:3)
"Scientists…reported that frog skin contains natural substances that could be the basis for a powerful new genre of antibiotics…
"Michael Conlon, Ph.D., who reported on the research, noted that the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria, which have the ability to shrug off conventional antibiotics, is a growing problem worldwide. As a result, patients need new types of antibiotics to replace drugs that no longer work.
"'Frog skin is an excellent potential source of such antibiotic agents,' said Conlon, a biochemist at the United Arab Emirates University in Al-Ain, Abu Dhabi Emirate. 'They've been around 300 million years, so they've had plenty of time to learn how to defend themselves against disease-causing microbes in the environment. Their own environment includes polluted waterways where strong defenses against pathogens are a must.'…
"The scientists are currently screening skin secretions from more than 6,000 species of frogs for antibiotic activity. So far, they have purified and determined the chemical structure of barely 200, leaving a potential bonanza of antibiotic substances awaiting discovery…"One substance isolated from the skin secretions of the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog — a species once common in California and Oregon but now facing extinction — shows promise for killing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. MRSA is a 'superbug,' infamous for causing deadly outbreaks of infection among hospitalized patients. Now it is occurring in settings outside hospitals, including schools, nursing homes, and day care centers.
"The skin of the mink frog, likewise, contains secretions that show promise for fighting 'Iraqibacter,' caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanni.
"Some of the substances could make their way into clinical trials within the next five years, Conlon predicted." (EurekAlert! 2010)Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Conlon JM; Sonnevend A. 2010. Antimicrobial peptides in frog skin secretions. Methods Mol Biol. 618(1): 3-14.
- 2010. Frog skin may provide 'kiss of death' for antibiotic-resistant germs. EurekAlert! [Internet],
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Rana septentrionalis
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen. Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
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Download FASTA File
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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Rana septentrionalis
Public Records: 5
Species: 42
Species With Barcodes: 1
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Conservation
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
Version
Year Assessed
Assessor/s
Reviewer/s
Justification
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Conservation Status
Reports have stated that Mink frog populations are declining, but they are not in serious trouble yet. The decline might be due to competition from the green frog, a larger, ubiquitous species (Harding 1997).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
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National NatureServe Conservation Status
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure
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NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure
Intrinsic Vulnerability: Moderately vulnerable
Environmental Specificity: Moderate to broad.
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Trends
Population
Population Trend
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Global Short Term Trend: Relatively stable (=10% change)
Global Long Term Trend: Increase of 10-25% to decline of 30%
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Threats
Threats
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Management
Wikipedia
Mink Frog
The Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis) is a small species of frog native to the United States and Canada. They are so named for their scent, which reportedly smells like a mink. The scent is more akin to that of rotting onions to those unfamiliar with mink. It is also sometimes referred to as the North Frog.
Contents |
Physical description
The Mink Frog is a small frog, growing up to 4.8 to 7.6 cm (1.9 to 3.0 in). The dorsum is generally green in color, with darker green and brown blotching and the belly is a cream, yellow or white in color. They are sexually dimorphic in that males typically have a bright yellow colored throat, while females have a white colored throat, and the tympanum of the male is larger than the eye, while the female's is smaller than or the same size as the eye.Pale-colored underside. Bright green lips.
Ecology and behavior
The Mink Frog is predominantly aquatic, living among the vegetation (especially among lily pads) in ponds, swamps, and streams around wooded areas. They feed on a wide variety of things, including spiders, snails, beetles, and other invertebrates. As tadpoles they consume primarily algae and decaying plant matter.
Reproduction
Mating generally takes place in late spring and early summer. Males call to attract females while floating in the water. Between 500 and 4000 eggs can be laid by the female at any one time, generally in deep water. Tadpoles remain in the larval stage for approximately one year before metamorphosing into froglets. Maturity is reached in a year for males, and two years for females.
Geographic range
Mink frogs are found in the United States in the states of Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, Vermont, and New York. They are also found in Canada in the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and Manitoba.
Conservation Status
In recent years, it seems that the general populations of Mink frogs are in decline.[2] In a 1999 study conducted by David Gardiner and David Hoppe it was noted that there was an increase in Mink frog deformites. "The spectrum of deformities includes missing limbs, truncated limbs, extra limbs (including extra pelvic girdles), and skin webbings. We also describe a newly recognized malformation of the proximal-distal limb axis, a bony triangle. In this abnormality, the proximal and distal ends of the bone are adjacent to one another forming the base of a triangle. The shaft of the bone is bent double and protrudes laterally, the midpoint of the bone forming the apex of the triangle."[3] The study comes to the conclusion that these deformities are a result of exposure to exogenous retinoids, but more study is needed to make a sure determination.
References
- ^ Hammerson (2004). Rana septentrionalis. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and a brief justification of why this species is of least concern.
- ^ Harding, J. 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. MI: The University of Michigan Press.
- ^ Gardiner, D. M., & Hoppe, D. M. (1999). Environmentally induced limb malformations in mink frogs (Rana septentrionalis). Journal of Experimental Zoology, 284(2), 207-216.
- Hillis, D.M. & Wilcox, T.P. (2005): Phylogeny of the New World true frogs (Rana). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 34(2): 299–314. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.10.007 PDF fulltext.
- Hillis, D. M. (2007) Constraints in naming parts of the Tree of Life. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 42: 331–338.
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