Michigan Herps

American Toad (Bufo americanus)

Identification: American Toads are often brown in color, but can even be almost black. Their skin is covered with lots of warts. It's legs are short, stubby, and muscular which helps it hope with ease in a broad variety of environments. The underside of the chin and belly are either white or cream in color with black or brown speckles. Adult size is 2-4 inches.

Habitat: American Toads are found in a wide variety of habitats, as long as some kind of insects are nearby to feed on. Woodlands, fields, near streams, and even backyards serve as homes for toads.

Diet: American Toads feed exclusively on insects & insect larvae.

Fowler's Toad (Bufo fowleri)

 Identification: The Fowler's Toad is often tough to tell apart from the American Toad because of their similar appearance. However, the belly is usually a very plain white as opposed to the black speckled belly that is charachteristic of the American Toad. Adult size is 2-3 1/2 inches.

Habitat: The Fowler's Toad seems to prefer a sandy environment as opposed to the American Toad which can be found just about anywhere. Fowler's Toads like sandy forests, such as dune areas.

Diet: Fowler's Toads feed on all kinds of insects.

Photo by Mike Graziano

Northern Green Frog (Rana clamitans melanota)

Identification: Green Frogs are the most common species of frog in Michigan. They are large and are usually brown or green in color, with a very bright green face. However, some individuals may be bronze in color instead of brown. Often confused with the Bullfrog, Green Frogs have a fold of skin running from their eardrum to their back. Adult size is 2-5 inches.

Habitat: Green Frogs are found almost anywhere that is close to water. Swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, and lakes are all common habitat. This frog produces a bango like "bung" call which is commonly heard in these areas.

Diet: Green Frogs typically feed on insects & smaller frogs.

American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Identification: The Bullfrog is the largest species of frog found in the state. They are very large and are usually brown or green in color with a very bright green face, just like the Green Frog. They differ in that Bullfrogs do not have the skin fold running back from their eardrum like the Green Frog. Females have a white belly, while males are larger in size and present a yellow belly. Adult size is 3-8inches.

Habitat: Bullfrogs can be found in lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and streams as long as the water is warm and full of weedy growth for them to use as cover.

Diet: American Bullfrogs are veracious predators, eating things like insects, smaller frogs, fish, small birds, and even small snakes.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Identification: The Leopard Frog is named for its leopard-like spots and markings. They may be brown or green in color with dark black or brown spots. Their legs usually have dark bars running across them as well. The snout is much more pointy than that of other Michigan frog species. A white line extends along the back from behind the eye on either side. Adult size is 2-4 inches.

Habitat: This frog is most commonly encountered in meadows, but it also may be found in marshes, and weedy ponds.

Diet: Leopard Frogs feed primarily on insects.

Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris)

Identification: Pickerel Frogs are extremely similar to the Northern Leopard Frog, except that their spots and markings on their legs are much more rectangular or square in shape. In addition, the insides of the hind legs are yellow in color. They are also consideravly rarer than the Leopard Frog.

Habitat: Streams, ponds, and rivers with cool water. Leopard Frogs prefer warmer water than the Pickerel Frog.

Diet: Pickerel Frogs feed on insects.

 Photo by James Harding

Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis)

Identification: Mink Frogs look strikingly similar to Green Frogs and Bullfrogs, but they are only found in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They are green or brown in color with a bright green face, they lack skin folds like the Green Frog has. Their legs are also blotched as opposed to the barred legs of the Green Frog. Adult size is 2-3 inches.

Habitat: Mink Frogs typically inhabit streams, ponds, lakes, swamps, and marshes.

Diet: Mink Frogs typically feed on insects and smaller frogs.

Photo by James Harding

Gray Tree Frog (Hyla versicolor)

Identification: Tree Frogs come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Some maybe be gray in color with little color, and other can be gray and bright green in color. They are a tree frog so they have large sticky toe pads which help them grip to trees and aid in climbing. the underside of the legs are usualy yellow in color. Can usually be heard at night in wooded areas calling. Adult size is 1-2 inches.

Habitat: Woodlands, marshes, and swamps where standing trees are found. Some can even be found on the backs of houses at night.

Diet: Tree Frogs usually prey on tree dwelling insects.

Cope's Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrsysoscelis)

Description: Cope's Gray Tree Frogs look almost identical to Gray Tree Frogs and can be just as widely varying in color pattern. However, Cope's seem to be more green than their close relatives. Adult size is 1-2 inches.

Habitat: Woodlands, marshes, and swamps where standing trees exist. They can be found on the backs of houses at night and in neighborhood trees.

Diet: Tree dwelling insects.

The two subspecies of tree frogs can only be truly told apart by their DNA and their calls. Besides that, they are almost identical.

Northern Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer crucifer)

Identification: These frogs appear in huge numbers after early spring rains and are one of the earliest calling frogs in Michigan. They are a generally small frog that is usually brown to reddish in color with a dark x-like markin on their back. They are a tree frog, so they also have padded toes which help them climb and grip to trees. Adult size is 1-1 1/2 inches.

Habitat: Spring Peepers prefer to inhabit moist woodlands, swamps, and marshlands.

Diet: Peepers consume ticks, mites, ants, spiders, and caterpillars.

Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata triseriata)

Identification: Chorus Frogs appear in large numbers have to spring rains just like the Spring Peeper. They are very small and often brown in color with faint blotches stripes running down their backs. They also have a distinct dark stripe running from their snouth over their eye and down their sides. Adult size is 1-1 1/2 inches.

Habitat: Chorus Frogs can be found marshes, swamps, and meadows.

Diet: Western Chorus Frogs feed on insects, spiders, and catepillars.

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Identification: Wood Frogs are small and are usually brown in color. They are distinguished by a dark brown or blackish band the runs back from their eye to their front limbs. This band is usually bordered by a white or cream colored strip near the mouth. Adult size is 1-2 inches.

Habitat: Wood Frogs inhabit damp woodlands and wooded marshes and swamps.

Diet: Woods feed on worms, insects, and other small prey.

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans blanchardii)

Identification: The Cricket Frog is Michigan's smallest species of frog. Like the Spring Peeper, are members of the tree frog family. Cricket Frogs can be gray or bright green and colorful. They get their name from their cricket like size and jump. Adult size is about 1 inch.

Habitat: Cricket Frogs are found in ponds, bogs, marshes, lakes, floodplains, and streams with slow moving water.

Diet: Cricket Frogs feed on insects & insect larvae.