NC's new state amphibian is...

The Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana.  The vote was April 19^th at midday and the Bullfrog was approved 96 to 1, with 4 not voting and 19 excused ( www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2007&BillID=H958&votesToView=all).   Aside from the somewhat comical title of state amphibian, I find the choice peculiar.  I can see why the State Legislature might have chosen the Bullfrog.   It is economically important as a food source, it has a certain cuteness and is big enough to look in the face, it is found throughout the State, and it is the king of frogs in this country (growing up to 8" long).   On the other hand it is present in every state east of Texas, Wyoming, and Minnesota, locally through the southwest, and throughout the West Coast. It could therefore be the state amphibian of most states (the NC Herpetological Society points out that it is already the state amphibian of Missouri, Iowa, and Oklahoma), and we already share our state bird, the Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis), with several others.  Bullfrogs are also voracious predators that can eat snakes, turtles, birds, and other frogs, and harm native amphibian populations when they are introduced into areas where they are not native (as has happened in the West).  

 

The Legislature could have considered amphibians unique to North Carolina, or at least those less widespread than Bullfrogs, and it did consider two I thought of this afternoon (info and pictures at wunc.org/news/Isaac-Hunters-Tavern/state-amphibian-meet-the-candidates).  These include the Neuse River Waterdog or Carolina Mudpuppy (a kind of mudpuppy, or totally aquatic salamander, Necturus lewisi, which the legislators did consider), the Junaluska Salamander (Eurycea junaluska, only found in the NC and Tennessee Smokies, see stri.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=eurycea+junaluska&burl=http://stri.discoverlife.org&btxt=Discover+Life), the Zigzag Salamander (Plethodon dorsalis, rare and of concern in NC, see stri.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Plethodon+dorsalis), or the Pine Barrens Treefrog (Hyla andersoni), a rare and handsome bright green and brown amphibian that also inhabits a few other states and was considered.   The Junaluska salamanders and the Zigzag salamanders are probably threatened by climate change, since they have no where to go if their mountain microclimates vanish up slope into thin air as it gets warmer.   Therefore they would provide an object lesson to North Carolinians about what it really means to change the climate even a few degrees, in addition to being less common than Bullfrogs.   The southern Appalachians are home to a large number of salamander species, many with very small ranges, and the coastal plain is very rich in frog and toad species.   I like Bullfrogs also, (though maybe not as much as our legislators!), but maybe it is time for our State mudpuppy, salamander, treefrog, and our most at risk animal species to be declared.   After all, we already have our state red berry (the Strawberry) and blue berry (Blueberries)…