Ontario Herpers

Dictionary

Frogs

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)

French Name: Rainette grillon

Usage: Referring to Acris crepitans simply as rainette grillon may cause confusion in the context of other frogs of the genus Acris, known as cricket frogs in English, in particular Acris gryllus. Suggest using rainette grillon boréale or rainette grillon du nord in contexts where there is such possibility of confusion.

Subspecies: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog, A. c. blanchardi, no usage found. Suggested usage: rainette grillon de Blanchard.

American Toad (Bufo americanus)

French Name: Crapaud d'amérique

Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri)

French Name: Crapaud de Fowler

Taxonomy: At the time the list of French common names was made, Fowler’s Toad was considered a subspecies of Bufo woodhousei, and the French common name assigned to it was crapaud de Woodhouse. Crapaud de Fowler is used on the CARCNET web site.

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)

French Name: Rainette versicolore

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

French Name: Rainette crucifère

Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata)

French Name: Rainette faux-grillon boréale

Taxonomy: Pseudacris maculata was considered a subspecies of Pseudacris triseriata at the time the list of French common names was made, and rainette faux-grillon applied to both. The modifiers of boréale for maculata and de l’ouest for triseriata are taken from the CARCNET web site.

Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)

French Name: Rainette faux-grillon de l'ouest

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates catesbeiana

French Name: Ouaouaron

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates clamitans

French Name: Grenouille verte

Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates palustris

French Name: Grenouille des marais

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates pipiens

French Name: Grenouille léopard

Usage: Grenouille léopard could be unclear in the context of other frogs referred to as leopard frogs in English, e.g. Rana blairi, R. chiricahuensis, R. onca, R. sphenocephala, R. subaquavocalis, and R. yavapaiensis. Suggest using grenouille léopard boréale or grenouille léopard du nord for Rana pipiens in contexts where there is such possibility of confusion.

Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates septentrionalis

French Name: Grenouille du nord

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Alternate Latin Name: Lithobates sylvatica

French Name: Grenouille des bois

Salamanders

Jefferson Salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonianum)

French Name: Salamandre de Jefferson

Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)

French Name: Salamandre à points bleus

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

French Name: Salamandre maculée

Smallmouth Salamander (Ambystoma texanum)

French Name: Salamandre à nez court

Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum)

Alternate Latin Name: Ambystoma tigrinum

French Name: Salamandre tigrée

Taxonomy: At the time the list of French common names was made, Ambystoma mavortium and Ambystoma tigrinum were considered the same species. This question is now in dispute. If the proposal to split western species of A. tigrinum into A. mavortium is accepted, I have as yet no suggestions on how to distinguish between two salamandres tigrées.

Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus)

French Name: Salamandre sombre

Northern Two-lined Salamander (Eurycea bislineata)

French Name: Salamandre à deux lignes

Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum)

French Name: Salamandre à quatre doigts

Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)

French Name: Necture tacheté

Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridiscens)

French Name: Triton vert

Northern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus)

French Name: Salamandre rayée

Lizards

Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)

French Name: Scinque pentaligne

Snakes

Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)

Alternate Latin Name: Coluber constrictor flaviventris

French Name: Couleuvre agile

Subspecies: Couleuvre agile denotes the Racer, Coluber constrictor; suggest using couleuvre agile bleue for the Blue Racer.

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

French Name: Crotale des bois

Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)

French Name: Couleuvre à collier

Usage: In certain contexts, couleuvre à collier could be confused with the European Grass Snake, Natrix natrix, whose common French name is also couleuvre à collier.

Eastern Fox Snake (Elaphe gloydi)

French Name: Couleuvre fauve

Usage: Couleuvre fauve originally designated Elaphe vulpina before the eastern subspecies, E. v. gloydi, which is the one found in Canada, was elevated to full species status in 1991. As a result, couleuvre fauve de l’est is sometimes used to designate Elaphe gloydi.

Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)

Alternate Latin Name: Elaphe spiloides

French Name: Couleuvre obscure

Subspecies: Couleuvre obscure is appropriate for the northern subspecies of Elaphe obsoleta that is found in Canada, but southern subspecies such as E. o. quadrivittata (the Yellow Rat Snake) and E. o. rossalleni (the Everglades Rat Snake), are a bit too brightly coloured for it.

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

French Name: Couleuvre à nez plat

Other species: Since Heterodon nasicus (couleuvre à nez retroussé) and H. platirhinos have different names, it is unclear what name could be assigned to H. simus, the Southern Hognose Snake.

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

French Name: Couleuvre tachetée

Subspecies: Couleuvre tachetée is appropriate for the subspecies of Lampropeltis triangulum found in Canada, but not for the many tricoloured subspecies of L. triangulum found from the southern U.S. through Ecuador.

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

French Name: Couleuvre d'eau

Usage: It’s unclear how to differentiate between this species and the nine other Nerodia found in the United States.

Subspecies: Couleuvre d’eau du Lac Érié has been used for N. s. insularum; couleuvre d’eau du nord could be used for N. s. sipedon.

Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)

Alternate Latin Name: Liochlorophis vernalis

French Name: Couleuvre verte

Usage: Couleuvre verte fails to differentiate between this species and Opheodrys aestivus, the Rough Green Snake. Suggest using couleuvre verte lisse to specify this species in contexts where it would otherwise be unclear.

Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

French Name: Couleuvre royale

Usage: Couleuvre royale makes a translation of “kingsnake” (Lampropeltis) somewhat problematic; I translate the latter as serpent-roi instead.

Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)

French Name: Massasauga

Alternate: Crotale massasauga is also used.

Subspecies: The eastern subspecies found in Canada, S. c. catenatus, is sometimes referred to as (crotale) massasauga de l’est.

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

French Name: Couleuvre brune

Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)

French Name: Couleuvre à ventre rouge

Butler's Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)

French Name: Couleuvre à petite tête

Usage: Couleuvre à petite tête makes translating the common name of the closely related Short-headed Garter Snake, Thamnophis brachystoma, problematic.

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis septentrionalis)

French Name: Couleuvre mince

Subspecies: The Northern Ribbon Snake, T. s. septentrionalis, is the one found in Canada; couleuvre mince du nord could be used to refer to it.

Usage: Couleuvre mince could equally refer to the Western Ribbon Snake, Thamnophis proximus; differentiation would be problematic in some contexts.

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

French Name: Couleuvre rayée

Subspecies: Use couleuvre rayée de l’est for the Eastern Garter Snake, T. s. sirtalis, and couleuvre rayée à flancs rouges for the Red-sided Garter Snake, T. s. parietalis.