North Dakota has a sparse fauna of amphibians and reptiles. While individual populations may get quite high, species diversity is low. The semi-arid climate provides only marginal conditions for breeding and hibernation of amphibians, while low winter temperatures and the short growing season appear to be primary limiting factors for reptiles. Several of the species listed below are very rare or infrequently found and are in quite localized populations.
AMPHIBIANS
Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma tigrinum
Plains Spadefoot Toad
Scaphiopus bombifrons
Great Plains Toad
Bufo cognatus
Rocky Mountain (Woodhouse's) Toad
Bufo woodhousei
Boreal Chorus Frog
Pseudacris nigrita
Leopard Frog
Rana pipiens
Did You Know?
The Little Missouri River began to carve the badlands about 600,000 years ago during Pleistocene time after the river was diverted by glaciers from its once northerly route to Hudson Bay.
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