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.

American Toads call in early to mid April. Their call is a high pitched trill which can last from 15-30 seconds.

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.

Fowler's Toads breed later in the year than the American Toad, usually May-June. Their call is a short, bleak cry. It sounds like a "waaah."

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.

Green Frogs call in June & July typically. Their call is a deep "clung" which sounds similar to a banjo string being plucked.

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.

Bulls call throughout the warm summer months. Their call is a low & deep croak, which sounds like "vrum" or "jug-a-rum."

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, lakes, stream edges, dtiches, and weedy ponds.

Diet: Leopard Frogs feed primarily on insects.

Leopard frogs normally call from mid-April through early May. They prefer to call from  permanent waters like lakes, ponds, and marshes. Their call is a low, croaking snore which lasts for several seconds.

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.

Pickerel Frogs begin breeding in mid April and continue into the month of May. They tend to breed in large ponds or small lakes, but may even enter slow backwater streams. Their call is a short snore-like croak, similar to the Leopard Frog, but softer and shorter.

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 are vert similar in appearance to the Northern Green Frog except that they lack skin folds like the Green Frog has. Their legs are also blotched pr spotted as opposed to the barred legs of the Northern 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.

Mink Frogs begin calling during the warm summer months in the upper peninsula. They breed in cool lakes, their call sounds like that of a hammer, "Kuk kuk kuk."

Photo by Corey Raimond

Common Gray Treefrog (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. .

Diet: Tree Frogs usually prey on tree dwelling insects.

These frogs are breeders on warm, rainy summer nights. Their call is a short musical trill which lasts two or three seconds.

Cope's Gray Treefrog (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, the only way to distinguish between the two is their call. 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. The cope's gray calls during the summer months on warm rainy nights. Its call is a much more rapid and bleak trill as compared to the Common Gray Treefrog.

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.

Spring Peepers emerge very early in the spring. Their call is a short, high pitched "peeep" which is repeated once every few seconds.

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.

This species is one of the earliest to emerge in the Spring, along with the Spring Peeper. They tend to congregate in mass near vernal pools, shallow marshes, and ditches. Their call is raspy "cree-eeek." It sounds similar strumming a finger along the teeth of a comb.

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.

Wood Frogs emerge in huge numbers in early spring and move towards vernal pools and shallow marshes. Their call is a duck-like "quack" Large chorusus can sounds like a large group of people chuckling.

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.

Cricket Frogs begin breeding in mid May and continue through mid July. They breed in and around the edges of permanent waters such as lakes, bonds, marshes, and slow moving rivers or streams. The call is similar to that of some crickets that call, but the best way to describe it is the sound of two small pebbles tapping together every few seconds.