AUTHORS: J. Daren Riedle Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Ecological Services Section, Pratt, KS, USA.
ABSTRACT: The Crawfish Frog, Lithobates areolatus, has been known from Kansas since the early 1900’s. They are thought to be locally common in remnant tallgrass prairie, although its relatively brief breeding season and secretive habit of remaining in burrows creates the perception of rarity. The distribution of the species in Kansas appears to range along the eastern edge of the Flint Hills eastward to the Missouri border and south in Oklahoma. The Crawfish Frog was originally listed as Threatened under the Kansas Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1975 but was down-listed to a Species In Need of Conservation in 1993. While no systematic surveys have been completed for the species, it is thought that the distribution has changed little, although some evidence has suggested some population declines.
