When you connect to the NBII Metadata Clearinghouse you will be able to search through metadata-based descriptions of biological data sets and information products from many different sources to identify those that meet your particular search criteria.
The NBII Metadata Clearinghouse: http://metadata.nbii.gov/
The NBII Home Page: http://www.nbii.gov/
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The checklist is also accompanied by a growing identification guide the purpose of which is to help you learn how to identify the species you are likely to encounter in your area, wherever you may be planning a field trip or in North America in general. To this end we are in the process of collecting photographs of the amphibians found throughout the United States and Canada. For the species covered in this guide we provide a brief description of along with several pictures to display the different color morphs and patterns. When appropriate, tips are given to help separate very similar species. Line drawings are also available to help explain some of the terminology used. Range maps show approximately where each species may be found, but be aware that amphibians are not uniformly distributed throughout this area. Also, many species have special habitat requirements and all amphibians are more or less dependent on sources of moisture. Naturally, maps small enough to fit on your monitor's screen can not show much detail. Some regions have been poorly studied as well, and large portions of the ranges shown in these areas are extrapolations from only a few records.
Jane Austin (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND),
Heather Bjornebo (Sioux Falls, SD)
John Bohrman (Pondside Herp Supply, Mason, NH),
Kevin Bonine (University of Wisconsin),
William D. Brown (National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD),
Allen T. Chartier (Associate Editor, Michigan Birds & Natural History, Inkster, MI),
Hugo Claessen (Belgium),
Marty Feldner (Arizona),
Ken Felsman (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign),
Rick A. Fridell (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, St. George, UT),
David M. Green (Redpath Museum, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada),
Mari D. Wood & Pamela Hengeveld (Peace/Williston Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Prince George, B.C.),
Ted Hoberg (Grand Forks, ND),
Todd Hunsinger (East Schodack, NY),
Cait Hutnik (San Jose, CA),
Jeff Jundt (Las Vegas, NV),
Robin Jung (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD),
Christoper J. Leary (Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD),
Jeff LeClere (St. Paul, MN),
Leslie S. Meade (Third Rock Consultants, LLC, Lexington, KY),
Stephen J. Mullin (The University of Memphis, TN),
Edward Nied Jr. (Nature Photographer, Southampton, MA),
Marc Payne (Succasunna, NJ),
Dena Pedynowski (Succasunna, NJ),
Larry Powell (University of Calgary, Alberta),
Robert Rold (Nature and Outdoor Photography, Owensboro, KY),
Brian Smith (Black Hills State University, Spearfish, SD),
Alan D. St.John (Interpretive Naturalist, Bend, OR),
Ralph Tramontano (Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, ND),
Tom Tyning (Massachusetts Audubon Society).
The SSAR's Committee on Standard English and Scientific Names has been attempting to create a list of common names that is both consistent and standardized (Crother 2000). The amateur (and professional!) may find this confusing at times. An example of such a change proposed by the committee is the use of the name Northern Cricket Frog only for the species Acris crepitans as a whole, while the subspecies Acris crepitans crepitans would be called the Eastern Cricket Frog. In the field guide by Behler and King both the species as a whole and A. c. crepitans is called the Northern Cricket Frog while in Conant and Collins' guide there is no collective name given to the species and A. c. crepitans is also called the Northern Cricket Frog! The SSAR list generally follows this pattern, with there being one common name for a species and different names for the various subspecies. The aim of these changes is to create a system of common names that is not just standardized but consistent as well. A consistent system produces a framework for the creation of new common names, while a standardized system leads to the application of the same name for a taxon by everyone. It may seem paradoxical, however, that this should lead to some well-worn names being replaced with entirely new ones, but this was done with an eye to the future and the expectation that a list of standard common names that is also consistent will be to the herpetological community's advantage. If you have comments on the choice of names used send them to:
Brian Crother, Common and Scientific Names Committee Chairperson
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA 70402, USA
We have not yet acquired photos of all species listed, and some pages have only one or a few photos when it would be preferable to have more to fully describe the taxon. A contribution to those species and pages would be appreciated, so if you are willing to contribute slides or prints for this ID-Guide please send an e-mail to NARCAM for the address to send them. The photos will be returned within 1-2 days after receiving them. As a way to say thank you for the use of your photos, digitized copies of the photos sent in will be made available. Credit will be given at our site to the photographer on the photo, along with the statement above that no reproductions or the use of photos beyond our website is allowed without permission of the original photographer.