ARCND: Frogs and Toads
AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE CLUB OF NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota has a grand total of 9 species of toads and frogs:
| Frogs | Toads |
|---|---|
| - | Plains Spadefoot, Spea bombifrons |
| Cope's Gray Treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis | Woodhouse's Toad, Anaxyrus woodhousii |
| Northern Leopard Frog, Lithobates pipiens | Great Plains Toad, Anaxyrus cognatus |
| Wood Frog, Lithobates sylvaticus | American Toad, Anaxyrus americanus |
| Boreal Chorus Frog, Pseudacris maculata | Canadian Toad, Anaxyrus hemiophrys |
FROGS
COPE'S GRAY TREEFROG
SIZE: The snout-to-vent length (SVL) is 1-2 inches.
RANGE: This frog, which is virtually indistinguishable from the Gray Treefrog, only resides on the far eastern portion of the state in the Red River Valley.
HABITAT: Small wooded areas in prairies, other wooded areas, usually near water.
NOTE: The ND Game and Fish Herpetology Guide includes the Green Treefrog, *Hyla versicolor,* but Peterson's Field Guide does not. When there is a discrepancy in my sources, I accept the most recent.
NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG
SIZE: Between 2-3.5 inches long.
RANGE: Throughout the state.
HABITAT: Slow streams, lakes, springs, bogs.
WOOD FROG
SIZE: Between 1.4-2.75 inches long.
RANGE: North and east of the Missouri River.
HABITAT: Shallow water, edges of water in wooded areas.
BOREAL CHORUS FROG
SIZE: Between 1-1.5 inches long.
RANGE: Entire state.
HABITAT: Almost anywhere. Can be found in fields, urban areas, woods, and grasslands.
TOADS
PLAINS SPADEFOOT TOAD
SIZE: Between 2-3 inches long.
RANGE: Found southeast of the Missouri River, although it can be found a little to the northeast of the river.
HABITAT: Dry grasslands with loose or sandy soil.
WOODHOUSE'S TOAD
SIZE: Between 3-5 inches long.
RANGE: Mostly to the southeast of the Missouri River, although it is found across the state.
HABITAT: Floodplains, grasslands, wetlands, backyards.
GREAT PLAINS TOAD
SIZE: Between 2-4 inches long.
RANGE: All but the most northern counties of the state.
HABITAT: Grasslands.
AMERICAN TOAD
SIZE: Between 2-3.5 inches long.
RANGE: Only in the eastern counties of the state that border Minnesota (Red River Valley).
HABITAT: Woodlands and mowed yards.
CANADIAN TOAD
SIZE: Between 2-3 inches long.
RANGE: To the northeast of the Missouri River.
HABITAT: Near water, including the margins of ponds, prairie potholes, and lakes.
ALSO IN THE ARCND SERIES:
Information taken from:
- Peterson's Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians, Fourth Edition (2016)
- Crother et al.'s SCIENTIFIC AND STANDARD ENGLISH NAMES OF AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF NORTH AMERICA NORTH OF MEXICO, WITH COMMENTS REGARDING CONFIDENCE IN OUR UNDERSTANDING, Seventh Edition (2012)
- ND Game and Fish's Reptiles and Amphibians of North Dakota (2015)
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Nice to see that you are a nature lover, too. :)
If you get the club up and running, you should look into becoming a FrogWatch USA chapter. Plus with only 9 species, you don't have to learn too many calls!
Cool! Thanks for the recommendation! I just googled it and it looks like a great program.