HABITAT

This species can be found in wet prairies, roadside ditches, cypress swamps, pine flatwoods and shallow temporary bodies of water with extensive emergent vegetation. 

BREEDING SEASON

Winter/Spring, December-March

SIMILAR TADPOLES

Pseudacris crucifer, Pseudacris nigrita, Hyla gratiosa

APPEARANCE

Head

Lateral eyes. 

Body

Pseudacris ornata tadpoles are reddish brown with light dorso-lateral lines extending from snout along the length of the body.  They have a light belly and a clear throat.

Tail

The tail has a highly arched dorsal fin. Smaller specimens have a bi-colored tail muscle (darker dorsally than ventrally) that becomes more uniformly pigmented as the tadpole grows larger.

APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM SIZE

Small: 1.0 inch , 25 mm.